Eden
by Holly Marsh
Summary: It is the year 2030. Like so many times before, the Earth is divided. Fleeing from the looming conflict, a group of very different people discover another world. But is it any more peaceful than the one they've left behind?
1. Prologue

**Authors' Note / Disclaimer**

_Written by two very crazy people, this story has ended up in the category "Kung Fu - The Legend Continues" mainly because those are the characters we've left closest to the canon - probably - maybe? - and because the site doesn't allow for a crossover of as many shows as you might recognise here. It started out as just a bit of fun with characters we love from all kinds of sources, with several original ones thrown in. As characters you're writing about are wont to do, they took on a life of their own over time, and now our heads are filled with tons of stories just waiting to be brought to paper. This one is kind of like a "pilot episode". Needless to say, it's set in a completely alternate universe, and what sprang from our imagination is ours, and what isn't... isn't._

_We hope you'll enjoy our ramblings. We're certainly enjoying ourselves writing them._

_So here goes..._

**EDEN**

**Prologue**

It is. It experiences suffering and pleasure, it despairs and it hopes. For many years it has slumbered, but now it wakens. It seeks and it finds - those who give it life and receive life from it. The chosen ones. The ordinary and the special ones. The ones who believe and the ones who deny. It knows them, even when they do not know themselves. It calls them by name, and they come, even if they cannot hear it. It has no living essence, it is not flesh and blood, it does not breathe; yet it comprehends the essence of living. It knows the destination that is hidden from us all. Even from me.

Who am I? I am the one who guards it. Who sees what it sees, from the glowing nebulae in every distant universe down to the ant crawling over my toe, unaware that there is a world beyond this mountain. I do not guide it, I merely observe. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I may understand it. More often than not, I am as clueless as I was in the beginning. And yet I trust it. It brought me here. It will bring them. And then, at last... it will be fulfilled.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Through the Eyes of a Child**

There was a knock at the door. Not for the first time, but the man who stood by the tall window staring out into the autumnal garden did not even blink.

'Sir, you can't keep them waiting forever.'

'I know.'

With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to look at the flag that hung limply in its stand. He touched the smooth fabric, stroked a red stripe and traced a star with his finger.

'Did you ever believe, like I did, that this banner actually stood for something?' he asked heavily. 'That the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans meant more than just empty words?'

'I'm Canadian.'

'Of course. How could I forget?'

Turning slowly, he looked at the man who stood facing him, and almost had to smile. Every American who entered this room went out of their way to avoid stepping on the presidential seal that graced the centre of the rug. The stoic bodyguard, on the other hand, stood right on top of it. It was impossible to guess at the thoughts behind the dark green of his sunglasses. His brow was deeply furrowed, but that was no indication. For Kermit Griffin, the man with the silenced Desert Eagle in his chest holster, it was simply a normal expression.

There was another knock. A woman's voice called for the president. She asked whether everything was all right. Moving as if in slow motion, he came around the massive desk and sat down in the leather chair. He ran his left hand through his short, silver-grey hair, and then nodded.

'Let them in.'

The bodyguard crossed to the door and unlocked it. Waiting outside, the vice president shot him a quizzical look to which he responded with no more than a short shrug. The camera crew hurried into the Oval Office. Time was of the essence. They had only a few minutes before going live, and it wasn't just the entire nation waiting to hear the president's announcement - the whole world was in suspense.

It was time. He took one last, deep breath and glanced at his notes, then signalled to the cameraman, who pressed the record button.

'Citizens of the United States of America, this is John Sheridan speaking - the man you elected to be your president. Three years ago, you placed your trust in me. I vowed to faithfully execute this office, and with God's help, to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution. But today, my oath to execute the office of President of the United States is at odds with that very same constitution. It is for this reason that I have two announcements to make. As you all know, a vote was taken today on the proposed law for registration and identification of those citizens who possess extraordinary, one might say supernatural abilities. The bill was approved. That is the first announcement, which I make in fulfilment of my pledge to execute my office. Now for the second. This law violates the constitution. It violates everything I believe in, everything I have spent my life fighting for. It goes against my own conscience. For that reason... Much as I regret it, I find myself forced to abandon the office of president. I cannot, and I will not continue to function as the head of a state which segregates a part of its population, for whatever reason. And that... is all I have to say.'

Reaching up to his lapel, he removed the flag he wore pinned there. He placed it on the centre of the desk, rose and stepped out of the picture. The cameramen kept filming. Maybe he thought it was all a bad joke, and that President Sheridan would soon resume his seat. Or maybe he was so taken aback that he had forgotten the camera was still on. Vice President Simms tapped his shoulder.

'Turn it off, for heaven's sake.'

The camera team packed up their equipment in silence. A young woman holding an electronic notepad and wearing an earpiece approached nervously.

'Mr. President...'

'I no longer hold that rank. If you have any questions, I suggest you talk to Ms. Simms.'

With these words, he left the room without looking back. Kermit Griffin followed him hurriedly, stopping only briefly to instruct one of the guards outside the door to stay with the vice president.

'Sir, hang on!' He had to make big strides in order to catch up. 'What the hell was that? Do you want the whole world to point fingers? Do you want them to think you should be registered yourself?'

'They would be mistaken.'

'I know that, but what about your son? Have you thought about him?'

John Sheridan stopped without warning and spun around. His eyes were hard.

'If anyone should betray David, no matter who...'

'It won't be me!' the other retorted. 'But a lot of people walk in and out of here. It would be more than foolish to believe no-one but us knows. If you had stayed in office, maybe we could have dismissed any accusations as slander, but you've made damn sure nobody will believe you now.'

'So you'd rather I stayed in office as president, condoned a breach of the constitution, and lied to the people into the bargain?'

'I just wish you'd picked a less confrontational way of venting your disapproval. It's my job to keep you and your family safe, and you've just made that a whole lot harder than it was already!'

'I'm sorry, but it couldn't be avoided. In any case, it's too late now, what's done is done. It's pointless to argue about it.'

'Then at least listen to me now, before you take the next step. Don't even think about getting any more involved in this than you already are. If you want to protect David, take him away from here. Disappear into the woodwork as fast as you can, or he'll be the one who suffers.'

'There's nothing I'd rather do. But where would we go? Is there a place on earth that will be safe for him much longer? America may be first, but you know as well as I do that other countries will soon follow, it's only a matter of time. Normal people are afraid. Afraid of telepaths reading their most intimate thoughts, of empaths manipulating their feelings...'

'Ask your son. Let him decide where you'll take him.'

'David? Come on - the boy's ten!'

'But with his abilities, he may already know what's coming.'

The point was too good to be dismissed out of hand. They set out to look for David, and found him in the library. There he sat on the floor, surrounded by atlases and hand-drawn maps, the pin board behind him covered in sketches and notes which often consisted of no more than one or two words. His smart phone lay in front of him, projecting a three-dimensional image of the presidential seal into the room while the anthem played quietly in the background. There was a pen in his right hand, and his left held the inhaler he had clearly just been using. John immediately regretted having made his public speech without warning, for it had obviously scared the boy. David looked up at him. He had his father's eyes, sometimes blue, sometimes brown, or green as they were now. John crouched down beside him.

'Is everything okay?'

David shook his head. Young as he was, he had always shown a great interest in the world outside his own four walls, and in adult affairs. He often grasped things in a way that was unexpected for a child his age, and he liked to read - historical tales and science-fiction novels, both sources which had taught him that his father's announcement was likely to have dire consequences.

'What's gonna happen to me now?' he asked. 'Do you have to register me? Will I be locked up? Do I have to wear some kinda uniform, are they gonna tattoo my forehead, or will they give me something to stop me dreaming?'

'You are not going to be registered, and nobody is going to harm you in any way.'

John ruffled his son's hair affectionately, put one arm around him, and drew him close. At that moment, David's mother entered the room. Her worried gaze met her husband's, and he searched for reassuring words.

'We'll leave,' he said. 'We'll go somewhere far away where no-one will recognise us, and where no-one knows about your dreams.'

'You mean, we're going on an expedition?'

David perked up immediately. He loved such adventures, which he normally undertook alone in the rooms and hallways of the White House, imagining them to be exotic oriental palaces or the dark passages beneath a pyramid. John smiled.

'Exactly. An expedition.'

'Where are we going?'

'Where would you like to go?'

'Canada,' the boy blurted out without hesitation. 'There.'

He reached for one of the coloured maps, on which he had scrawled a big X in red ink. Kermit leaned in for a closer look.

'That's right in the heart of the Rockies. A lonely spot, and cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey... sorry. They have winters there lasting from October through April!'

'I seem to recall it was your bright idea to let David decide where we're going,' John reminded him with amusement.

'Me and my big mouth. Say, half-pint, why pick that place? Why not Hawaii or somewhere else that's nice and warm?'

David frowned. 'I dunno. I dreamed about it. There was this house, and a big lake. And I just sorta felt safe there.'

'Yeah? Okay then. Guess it's time I called in a few favours from my inglorious past to get us some transportation.'

'Us?' John echoed. 'There's no need for you to come along. This doesn't concern you.'

'I only left Canada in the first place to work for you, and if there's nothing more for me to do here, I may as well go back home. And anyway, you're wrong...' He looked down at David. 'It does concern me.'

He was about to leave the library when the First Lady reached out and touched his arm.

'Thank you, Kermit.'

He gave a curt nod and said, 'We'll get the boy to safety. That's a promise.'

He spoke with such conviction that it was almost impossible to doubt his words. Nevertheless, a mother's worry could not be so easily set aside, even though she tried not to show it while David was still in the room.

'Darling, would you please go to your room and start sorting out what you really need?'

'Will do,' he said and began gathering up his notes.

'Do you really need all of those?'

'Yeah, they're important. Hm...' Pensively he asked, 'Can I take an atlas too, or do they all belong to the house?'

'You have a map on your cell phone, don't you?'

'But what if I can't get a signal where we're going? Or if the battery runs out and they don't have electricity to recharge it?'

'We're travelling to Canada, not the Middle Ages. You're not going to need an atlas.'

'Okay.'

David left the room, his arms loaded with papers and pens. His parents watched him go. Only when he was far enough out of earshot did John turn to address his wife.

'Don't be afraid, Phoebe. David's going to be okay.'

'Can you guarantee that? If someone finds us...'

'Kermit will make damn sure nobody can follow us.'

'They won't have to. John, we're known all over the world. We only have to walk into a town, and they'll be onto us.'

'Then we won't go into any towns. We'll stay someplace remote, in the country.' Gently, John took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. 'You know I would never let anything happen to David or to you. Just trust me.'

'Whenever you say that, things always go wrong. What if something should happen to you?'

'If it did, Kermit would protect you both. But nothing is going to happen to me. We're all going to be fine.' He bent forward and kissed her. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

He grinned roguishly. 'In that case, will you do me a favour? I still have some things to do before we leave. Most importantly, I have to talk to Karen. I'm afraid I'm dumping a huge mess on her. Would you mind packing my case?'

'Sure. It'll give me a chance to finally get rid of that completely hideous checked jacket you wear when you go fishing.'

She smiled. John raised an eyebrow, but the corners of his mouth twitched.

'While you're at it, make sure you forget to pack the reindeer sweater your mother made me.'

'Oh no, you're going to need that. You heard what Kermit said: It's cold in Canada.'

He rolled his eyes, gave her another quick kiss, and then left. Phoebe went to the bedroom and began packing cases as quickly as she could. It wasn't easy to decide what to take and what to part with, especially not at such short notice. Not that she had any regrets about leaving the furnishings behind. After all, she had always known they wouldn't be staying here forever. It was a residence, not a home, and that was how she had lived there. It was the little things that upset her: photographs, mementoes, jewels... She knew she couldn't take them with her. Only what they really needed, just as she had told David. Thick sweaters, warm pants, comfortable winter shoes...

'Mom?'

David was standing in the doorway. He was carrying a backpack that looked full to the brim, and his pockets were bulging.

'Good Lord, what have you got in there?'

'Just a few of my favourite things...'

'Show me, please.'

He looked guilty as he emptied his pockets and the contents of his backpack onto the bed. His mother had no objections to the water bottle, flashlight and compass. But as the rest began tumbling out, she shook her head: action figures, toy cars, a few books, several soft toys...

'Darling, I'm sorry, it's just too much. We can't take all of this with us.'

'But I bet you're taking your old doll, right? And dad's taking his cowboys?'

'No. We're leaving those behind too.'

David stared at her out of big brown eyes. 'But dad's been working on his model town for ages! And... and the doll used to be Anna's...'

Phoebe gulped. 'Yes, I know. But right now it's more important we get you to safety. What we own doesn't matter nearly as much as staying together.'

David's brow was furrowed, but he nodded. 'Okay, mom. I'll put it all back.'

While he began gathering his things, her gaze fell on an old, threadbare teddy bear she had had as a child. She picked it up and discovered a frame underneath. The picture showed her and John at the beach during their last vacation. They were both beaming at the camera. David had taken the photo himself, and it was her favourite picture of the two of them. She heaved a sigh.

'David, wait. I don't have any hand luggage yet. If we share out these things between us, you can take everything.'

But he shook his head. 'I don't need all this stuff. The cars can stay, and... and I don't have to take all the figures, just a few.'

He began sorting until he had a smaller pile of things he really couldn't bear to part with. They included the photograph and the bear, something to write with, and his precious Han Solo figure.

'There. Now we have room for Anna's doll and some of dad's cowboys too,' he said.

Touched, Phoebe hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head. 'I love you, darling.'

'I love you too, mom.'

He went out, his arms now laden with toys that he took back to his room, while Phoebe wiped a tear off her cheek.

Half an hour later, they were ready. Suddenly, it had gone very fast. Kermit had driven up in an inconspicuous station wagon, a family vehicle. Karen Simms stood in the doorway and watched the four of them load their luggage into the trunk, and then Phoebe hugged her goodbye.

'Are you sure you can't stay a while?' the vice president suggested. 'Maybe it won't get as bad as you think, or people may never find out about David.'

In answer, Kermit pulled out his phone and showed her the rumours that had been spreading online for the past hour. It was startling to see how rapidly it had happened, how many people were already clamouring for Sheridan to make the first step, and have his son registered and chipped.

'Oh my God...'

'I'm really sorry to be leaving you in the middle of all this,' John apologised to her again.

'It's all right. You go on, take care of your family. I wish you all the best, John.'

'Thanks. The same to you.'

Now only Kermit was left standing beside her, and she looked at him intently.

'Take good care of the three of them, you hear?'

'Sure. Don't let it get you down, Karen. And remember: We're not going out of this world. If you ever need help, give me a call. Anytime.'

'I'll remember that.' After a brief pause, she added, 'Make sure you stay safe, Kermit.'

'Don't worry about me. You know only the good die young.'

'Will I ever see you again?'

Slowly he raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

'Oh yeah.'


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Visions**

'Lobo? Lobo! Where's he gotten to this time?'

Peter sprang from the saddle and led Tanimara along behind him, while Valene reined in Spartan and kept a lookout for their four-legged companion from the horse's back. But the adventurous wolf was nowhere to be seen.

'Why is it he never listens?' Peter grumbled to himself.

'Hm, yes, that is odd. Really makes you wonder where he gets it from.'

It was a dig Valene just couldn't resist, though it earned her an annoyed look, to which she responded by sticking her tongue out.

'Minx,' Peter retorted, and turned away grinning.

Valene was smiling too. The wolf and the "pack leader" he had chosen for himself truly were two of a kind: In equal parts stubborn and lovable, they both excelled at driving her crazy one minute, only to make such puppy eyes at her the next that she instantly forgave them. It was that look she blamed for the fact that she had now spent almost two weeks riding through the snow at sub-zero temperatures without complaint, even though she still didn't really know why they had had to leave their cosy little home in the woods.

The longest part of the journey was behind them now, but it seemed that wasn't enough in Peter's eyes. He still acted as if driven by some invisible force, only allowed the bare minimum of essential breaks, spoke little, and slept uneasily. Valene wouldn't let him out of her sight. She didn't pry or pressure him. She knew that, when he was ready, he would tell her about the vision that had led to this upheaval. Until then, she would stay by his side, and his small smile just now proved she was doing the right thing.

'Hold on, be quiet,' he said - unnecessarily, as they hadn't spoken for some time. 'Do you hear that howling?'

Valene strained her ears and shook her head. 'I can't hear a thing.'

That, however, meant very little, for Peter could hear like a lynx. He threw her Tanimara's reins and vanished in the thicket, following the faint sound of howling across uneven, snow-covered terrain. Swiftly leaping and clambering over fallen trees, suddenly he found himself looking at the entrance to a cave.

'Lobo?'

A howl from the darkness, increasing in volume, was his only answer.

'Come outta there, you crazy mutt!'

But Lobo showed no inclination to heed his call. Instead, he merely howled more urgently. Peter swore under his breath. They really didn't have time for this kind of detour, quite apart from the fact that caves like this were not infrequently home to a bear or two. Doubtless they would be more than happy to rise from their slumber to devour the tasty snack that had just strolled into their living room. There was nothing for it, however. No way was Lobo going to resurface until Peter had been to see what he had found. So he drew his service weapon, unfastened the flashlight from his belt, and stepped inside the cave. A few steps in, a sickening stench assailed his nostrils. If there really was a bear down here, he had nothing to fear from it; it must be long dead. Nevertheless, Peter remained cautious. He was ready for anything, but not for what he finally discovered. Behind a bend where he knocked his head on a protruding rock, sheer terror met his eyes!

Corpses. Innumerable corpses. Revolted, he called Lobo back, away from the dead bodies, and this time the wolf did as he was told. He felt nauseous, and suppressed the sensation with difficulty. What the hell could have happened here? The light from his flashlight passed over the bodies, and Peter saw that they had all been killed by bullets and buckshot. In his mind, these poor unfortunates came to life once more, showing him what had befallen them in the last minutes of their earthly existence. They ran, pushing and jostling each other to get in first. Had this really been their destination then? A grubby little cave? He saw a map, and heard a man's voice say, _'Here, the entrance has gotta be right here!'_ Then all he could hear were screams echoing through his mind, and he was forced to watch as they all died.

'Peter... God, what's that smell? Peter? Where are you?'

The next instant, Valene had come up beside him, and before he could prevent it the horror had overwhelmed her. Appalled, she covered her mouth with her hand. Tears filled her eyes. She was shaking all over as Peter led her out of the cave with gentle firmness. The force of all those emotions, of the terror those people had faced, broke over her like a wave, and if Peter hadn't been with her, she would have lacked the strength to even run away. He supported her, took her out into the fresh air, and tenderly stroked her head while she struggled to regain her composure.

There were days when she cursed her empathic abilities, and today was one of them. Over the past year, Valene had spent a lot of time with Peter's father, a Shaolin priest who had experience with her special problem. Under his tutelage, she had finally begun to learn how to shield herself from outside influence. She was getting better at it, as long as the feelings around her weren't too strong and the crowds weren't too big. A trip to town still cost her a lot of strength and concentration as she struggled to maintain the mental walls protecting her mind. As soon as anything unforeseen occurred, those walls crumbled like a house of cards, just as they had in the cave.

'I'm sorry, I have to go back inside, Val. Will you be okay?'

Valene nodded with her eyes closed. Nothing in the world could have made her go back into that mass grave. She took a few deep breaths, brushed the snow off a tree stump, and sat down.

'Just don't take too long,' she begged him shakily.

Under no circumstances did she want to stay alone out here any longer than she had to. Peter softly planted a kiss on her forehead.

'Don't worry, I'll be as quick as I can. And Lobo will look after you while I'm gone.'

The wolf seemed to have been watching them, and appeared to understand what was expected of him. He sat facing Valene and laid his head on her knees. She scratched his ears gratefully.

Peter tied his scarf over his nose and mouth against the smell. A mint leaf under his tongue drove out the foul taste that developed after a few seconds inside. The vision he had experienced upon first entering the cave was dwelling on his mind. The map... It might offer some kind of clue.

He surveyed the gory scene more distantly this time. Most of the bodies were facing a certain wall. Peter stepped across the corpses closest to it and examined the rough stone. A dead woman lay with her arms extended, as though trying to touch the wall, but there was nothing there that he could see - no indication that the rock had ever been hewn, no secret opening mechanism or anything of that kind. It was just cold, grey bedrock. He turned back to look at the other bodies. They had been gunned down in cold blood, from ambush. There had been no chance of escape. But why had they been lured into this trap? Peter closed his eyes. Why did his visions never occur when he needed them? Well, there was one method he could try: He could summon them through direct contact, although he baulked at the thought of touching one of these foul-smelling corpses. Finally, the cop in him pushed aside his scruples. Peter crouched down, ignoring the pool of blood beside him, and reached for the hand of a man in his thirties, whose body lay protectively over that of a red-haired woman. The hand was cold as ice. Peter closed his eyes, tried to relax, and cautiously opened his mind.

Meanwhile, back outside, Valene was feeling a little calmer. Partly to distract herself from the images inside her head, partly because it was bitter cold, she forced herself to get up. The wolf peered up at her expectantly.

'Come on, Lobo,' she said. 'Let's get a fire going. I'm sure Peter could use something warm when he comes out of there.'

They set out to gather wood. Lobo helped by picking up a thick branch and proudly carrying it between his teeth. After all, he wanted warmth too. But however much Valene tried not to think about it, her thoughts dwelt on the cave. In spite of herself, she kept picturing Peter looking around there now, with all those bodies everywhere, and she fervently wished he were back with her already. So distracted was she that she didn't even realise there were people approaching her from several directions.

Lobo, on the other hand, noticed it at once and began to growl, his hackles rising. Whoever it was coming towards them, he sensed they were up to no good. He glanced up at Valene. Why wasn't she doing anything? Without further ado, the wolf slunk off to investigate.

At last, Valene realised something was wrong. The woods were eerily quiet. '_What if whoever slaughtered all those people in the cave should come back?'_ she thought suddenly. Instinctively, she reached for the Beretta in her holster and released the safety catch - just in case. As she picked up the next piece of wood from the ground, she closed her eyes briefly and stretched out her feelers, as Peter liked to call it. Almost immediately, she sensed the presence of six individuals following her. They were approaching from two directions, and unless she hurried up, they would cut off her route back to the cave.

Not wanting to let her pursuers know she was aware of them, Valene started back slowly. Outwardly calm and relaxed, she trudged through the snow-decked underbrush, her nerves strained to the limit. She could feel them circling round her, and she hoped Lobo had gone to get Peter. Almost back at the small clearing just outside the cave, she still had hope that she might make it, but then a bullet pierced the snow at her feet. Valene froze. The wood she had gathered tumbled to the ground, but before she could draw her gun, something hard struck the back of her neck. For a few seconds, she saw nothing but stars, and she fell to her knees. Someone pulled her back on her feet and painfully twisted her arm behind her back.

'Well now, what have we got here?'

A coarse voice droned in her ear. Valene was having trouble focussing her eyes - they had hit her hard. The guy holding her stank revoltingly of sweat and alcohol. Another man reached under her coat and took her gun.

'That's a mighty big iron you got there, doll,' the coarse voice taunted her.

Valene screwed up her eyes. Being called "doll" got her adrenalin pumping, and when she opened them again, she could see clearly once more. What she saw was no more appealing than the smell, however: six degenerates between the ages of twenty and thirty, armed to the teeth. The term "hobgoblins" came to mind.

'Hey, Dan, there's two horses back here with supplies an' weapons. Looks like the doll ain't alone out here. Other horse is a cop's!'

She heard them rummaging through their things. Peter's radio landed on the ground beside her, followed by his badge, which he hadn't been carrying on him for days. It wasn't much use against wild animals out here in the woods.

Dan, unshaven and with cold green eyes, turned to look at Valene.

'So tell me, sugar... What are cops doin' way out here? You lookin' for the folks that came by a few days ago? Is there more o' you comin'?'

So Valene's fears had been justified. She was in deep this time.

'What folk? I'm on my way to see my brother, and was just going to rest here a while.' Keep them talking, play for time... She nudged a lump of wood towards Dan with her foot. 'I was gathering wood for a fire.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Valene spied a movement among the bushes. Lobo! He was flat on his stomach, crawling towards the cave entrance. But one of the men was about to cross his path. All of a sudden, the smelly character holding Valene landed on the snowy forest floor, nose bleeding, hands clutching at his private parts while his face contorted with pain. He hadn't seen that coming.

Valene ran away from the clearing, hoping to buy Lobo time to alert Peter. Four of the men set off in pursuit, and her head start didn't get her very far. Dan was first to reach her, and soon learned that this "doll" had a mean right hook and was quite skilled at martial arts. Well-aimed kicks and punches kept her attackers at bay. Two of them went down.

But though Dan was rather lacking in intelligence in a general way, he did know how to hunt his "prey" to exhaustion, waiting for just the right moment to strike - he had been hunting long enough in these parts. Whether he was after animals or people, he had never failed yet. The woman was fast, but her strength was failing. It was the moment he had been waiting for. Using the full weight of his bulky frame, he lunged at Valene and bore her to the ground. But she didn't give up, not until she felt the cold steel of Dan's knife against her throat.

'That's right, sugar. Y'know, I'm startin' to ask myself if you're even worth all the trouble you're givin' us. I want answers, and I want 'em now!'

Valene snorted derisively. 'The trouble _I'm_ giving _you_? You've got that back to front. And my name isn't "sugar", any more than it's "doll", _prúntach_!'

'What did you just call me?'

She bit her lip. One of these days, her loose tongue would get her into real hot water. It was probably lucky the curse had slipped out in Gaelic, rather than a language he could understand. Dan glared at her through half-closed eyelids.

'Guess you think you're real tough, huh?' He gripped her throat with one hand, dragged her to her feet, and slammed her back against a tree. Valene gasped for air, but still refused to answer him. She could feel his rage and bloodlust rising, and secretly pictured herself lying dead in the cave with the others. _'God, Peter, where are you?'_

'Where's the cop that came on the other horse? Are there more comin' up here?' He followed his questions with a short, swift jab of the knife, and Valene cried out. A deep cut appeared on her upper arm, but still she wouldn't talk.

'Brad! Tell the others to find the cop and kill him. Spread out and search the area. I don't want any more surprises while I'm takin' care of her. Could be she's just the scout for a bigger party lookin' for those folks in the cave.' There was no reply. 'Brad? Are you deaf, damn it?'

'He is... indisposed!' came the unexpected response.

Dan whirled around, dragging Valene with him, who tried to protect the bleeding wound with her hand. Facing them stood Peter's father, Kwai Chang Caine. He must have crept up on Brad and taken him out without making a sound. His eyes sought Valene's. _'When I say _now_, drop.'_ He spoke to her with his thoughts. Valene gave an almost imperceptible nod. Then it happened very fast.

'Now!'

Dan was so taken by surprise when Valene let her whole weight fall to the ground that he never even saw the foot coming before it knocked him down and sent him to sleep.

At last, Peter came running up, gun in hand. His jaw dropped when he spotted his father.

'Pop? How... Ah, never mind. I guess I should be used to you appearing out of nowhere whenever we're in trouble.'

Dishevelled and dirty, he came to a halt. A graze on his right temple bore witness to his recent run-in with the two henchmen Dan had left guarding the cave. His father smiled and shrugged in his own, inimitable way.

'I was following you because I knew you would need my help. But let us speak of this later. Take care of Valene. She has been injured. I will fetch the horses. We should leave this place quickly.'

The word "injured" immediately had Peter's attention. He was by her side in an instant.

'What happened, hon? Are you okay?'

She forced a smile. 'A bit battered, but alive,' she assured him. 'It's nothing serious, it'll heal.'

Peter helped her to stand, and she sank gratefully into his arms. This whole experience had shaken her, but Peter's embrace was the best cure she could wish for.

'Peter, this guy Dan and his men killed those people,' she said, and told him what had happened while he had been in the cave.

'Damn, and they almost killed you too. I should never have left you!' he reproached himself, but Valene protested.

'You couldn't have known, and anyway, I'm fine. Though I would really like to know what it's all about. Did you find out anything in the cave?'

Peter nodded wordlessly, and she sensed that he didn't want to talk about it. On the other hand, she needed to know, and he could feel that too. So he forced the words out.

'There was this guy. When I touched him, it was like I _was _him. I could hear his thoughts, see through his eyes... He and his wife were on the run, just like everyone else in the cave. Someone sold them a map that was supposed to show them the way to some kind of secret passage which would lead to a secure hideout - well, that was obviously a lie. That cave leads nowhere, and it became a death trap for all of them. The same people who promised them hope murdered them in cold blood. I was there. It was gruesome.'

Subconsciously, he rubbed his chest where a rifle bullet had prematurely ended the young man's life. He could still hear the shots and screams that had drowned out all other sound, and he felt the dead man's pain as he tried vainly, with his dying breath, to shield the woman he loved.

'Those monsters...' Valene closed her eyes for a moment and asked quietly, 'Why? What were those people running from?'

'From persecution,' said Caine, rejoining them.

He had gathered what little luggage he had - a small pack, his hat, and his flute - and was leading their horses Spartan and Tanimara by the reins. A third horse followed him: his white stallion Jing, who trotted through the snow completely at ease without saddle or reins, finally coming to a halt beside Lobo.

'Persecution? For what reason...?'

'They had special abilities, and did not wish to submit to the new law which takes away their rights as free human beings.'

'What law?'

It seemed like every answer just raised more questions, and while Caine explained the situation, Peter reflected how odd it was to find his father more informed about mundane matters than he was.

'We haven't gotten any news for almost two weeks now,' he explained. I had this vision...'

Valene listened with interest as he attempted to describe what he had seen. It sounded confusing, disjointed, and unnerving. She was beginning to understand why he hadn't spoken about it until now.

'The one thing I know for sure is that we have to reach Val's brother,' he said, repeating what he had told Valene before starting out.

'Well, I don't know what it has to do with your vision,' she said. 'But with everything we know now, I have to admit I can't wait to see him.'

'Then let's get going.'

'What about these guys?'

Peter retrieved his badge and radio from the snow, wiped it on his sleeve and tried it.

'It's working. Pop and I can tie them up and put them in the cave with the bodies, that's the best place for them. You contact the rangers.'


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Uninvited Guests**

Jack had mucked out the stables, chopped and stacked firewood, repaired the paddock fence, and swept out the fireplace. Now he was sitting on the jetty that extended out over the vast lake by his house, dressed in a winter coat and boots, his long legs stretched out in front of him, a beer bottle in his hand. Nothing could have been more pleasant, had it not been for the fact that the bottle was empty. Now he would either have to go see if there was still one left in the refrigerator - highly unlikely - or wait for Sam to get back with the shopping, however long that might be.

Since he never wore a watch, he glanced up at the sky. The position of the sun told him that the afternoon was far advanced, and that made him uneasy. He scolded himself for being such a worry-guts. After all, it wasn't the first time Sam had spent longer in town than she had previously anticipated. Once let loose in the civilised world, with people to talk to and unnecessary trinkets to spend money on, she was inclined to take her time. Nevertheless, something told him that today was different. He had had a funny feeling since sunrise, and Sam's absence wasn't helping. In fact, the feeling was so strong that he was ready to get his jeep out of the garage and go looking for her, when he became aware of the distant whirr of an engine. It came rapidly closer, and within moments had become so loud that he sprang up cursing, clapping both hands over his ears.

The lake water rippled. The pines shivered. Snowdrifts swept down from the roof like a mist, and some loose tiles that Sam had been on at him to fix rattled noisily. Looking up, he was met by a sight so absurd that he hardly dared believe his eyes: An enormous khaki helicopter was hovering overhead, its rotor blades whipping the air up into a vortex.

'What the hell...'

The helicopter maintained its position and lowered a ladder, allowing four figures to climb down to the ground beside the house. Two men, a woman, and... Was that really a child? Two suitcases and a travel bag were lowered down to them, then the shorter of the men waved to the pilot. Before Jack had time to protest, the machine turned and disappeared into the distance, leaving the strangers behind on his property. They came towards him, and for a moment he regretted having left his shotgun in the house - if he needed to defend himself, his pocket knife alone wouldn't be much use. However, they didn't seem to mean him any harm, even though the man who now approached him made a far from friendly impression.

He cut a sinister figure, from the tangled, almost shoulder-length mane to the pitch black coat and jump boots. The only light areas were the face behind the grizzled beard and sunglasses, and a silver strand of hair which sprang back from his right temple and struck Jack as rather ridiculous, almost as if he were facing a caricatured comic-book villain rather than a real human being. The gloved right hand the man extended towards him seemed real enough, however. He introduced himself in deep, gruff tones.

'Jack Avery, I presume. My name is Kermit Griffin.'

Jack gaped at him wordlessly. He did not shake hands, but proceeded to study the three who stood behind him. He started slightly. Though they had neither a television nor an internet connection out here, he did occasionally glimpse at a newspaper when he found his way to town, and therefore recognised the president immediately. He was at Jack's eye level, a rare experience for a man who was nearly two meters tall, and had a grave, worried look about him. The woman at his side barely came up to his shoulder, and Jack couldn't help but notice that the photographs he had seen hadn't done her justice. Fair hair fell down to her shoulders, framing a face that was no longer young, but whose fine lines around the eyes and mouth made a naturally sympathetic impression on him. The boy seemed nice too - a bright kid, no doubt about that. Jack liked the alert look in the hazel eyes that appraised him curiously, and under different circumstances, he would hardly have been able to resist returning the boy's shy smile.

All these observations had taken him mere seconds, and he quickly regained his composure sufficiently to ask them, bluntly and with curses in the native tongue of his homeland flung in here and there, what exactly they meant by disturbing his peace and quiet. The president approached him.

'I am J...'

'I know who you are, but why are you invading my lake?'

'That's rather a long story, and one you'll probably find hard to believe. Do you think we could continue this conversation inside, before we all end up frozen solid?'

'You want to enter my house? The President of the United States drops out of the sky, and cool-as-you-like invites himself into my parlour?' Jack laughed drily. He began turning in circles, peering into the bushes, and called out, 'Peter? Peter Caine, are you out there? I'm sure you find all of this an absolute scream, but if you think I'm letting you send it up to some candid camera show...'

'Hold on,' Griffin interrupted him. 'Did you just say Caine? Peter Caine?'

'I did. Why?'

'Is he here?'

'I didn't think so, not until you showed up. But I really can't imagine what this is, unless it's some stupid prank of Peter's that I don't find remotely funny.'

Griffin's mouth twisted into an unexpected, crooked grin. 'You talk like a man who's caught Peter hitting on his sister.'

Jack raised his eyebrows quizzically. 'You know him?'

'Oh yeah.' He drawled out the two short syllables. 'We're old friends.'

'Friends? Really? Sure you're not one of those guys who used to stand in line to kill him?'

'The only time I nearly got him killed was when he stuck his neck out for me.'

'So you say.'

Jack studied Griffin for a moment. He didn't really look like a man who would be a friend of Peter's, but Jack's gut was talking to him again, and was of the opinion that he was telling the truth.

'Fine.' With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate. 'Come on in then. Maybe that way, at least I can get an explanation for all of this.'

He led them into the living room, where Phoebe Sheridan looked around her appreciatively. The brickwork fireplace, the broad upholstery with its big cushions covered in Native American designs, and the warmly coloured patchwork rug on the floor gave it a cosy atmosphere. Two iron candlesticks decorated a wooden chest of drawers, and between them stood a few painted ceramic jugs. A glass cabinet held an assortment of clay figures, partially weathered, along with faded parchments and old coins that looked medieval. Horseshoes were fixed to the wall by the window, as well as nails which held up Native American artefacts - various pipes, knives, and a feathered tomahawk. A large dreamcatcher hung on the wall over the fireplace, and the mantel held a collection of photographs which captured Phoebe's interest. Finally she looked out through the large front of glass that offered a panoramic view of the seemingly endless lake and snow-covered mountains.

'You have a beautiful home, Mr. Avery.'

'There's no "mister" in this house. Just call me Jack, all right?'

'Only if you call me Phoebe.'

'Well, ma'am, I don't know if that's appropriate.'

'Please.'

She gave him a charming smile that made her blue-green eyes sparkle, and he realised how impossible it was to refuse her. Clearing his throat, Jack offered to fetch drinks - mainly because he urgently needed to leave the room and clear his head. But the sight of the empty fridge only served to rekindle his worries. Why the devil wasn't Sam home yet?

'I wouldn't say no to something stronger, if you have it.'

Griffin's voice, coming suddenly from behind him, almost made Jack drop the bottle of water he was holding.

'Damn it, do you have to sneak around like that?'

'Kind of jumpy, aren't you?'

'You wait until a chopper drops the most powerful man in the world and his entourage off in your front yard, and then tell me what you make of it.'

'But there's more to it than that, isn't there?'

Jack laughed humourlessly. 'What are you, a mind reader? I suppose you go in for all Peter's metaphysical mumbo-jumbo, do you?'

'I carry my metaphysics in my holster,' Griffin replied drily. 'But the way you're all tensed up reminds me of someone.'

'Is that so? And who might that be?'

'Me.'

Jack had just opened his mouth for a sharp retort when both men were distracted by a sound from outside. Sheridan must have heard it too, for he appeared behind Griffin, just as the bodyguard was reaching for his trusty Desert Eagle. Jack went to the kitchen window and looked out to see a wolf trotting up the road, followed by three riders.

'Speak of the devil,' he grumbled.

'What is it?' Phoebe asked, joining them. 'Is there something wrong?'

Griffin lowered his arm and tucked his gun away.

'Oh, this should be good.'

While the riders dismounted, Jack took long strides towards them. Lobo came running to him, and he scratched the top of the wolf's head before turning to the blonde young woman who had stopped closest to him.

'Val. Am I glad to see you! Holy mother of...' His gaze had fallen on the bloodstained hole in her sleeve. 'What happened to you?'

'It's nothing. Honestly, I'm fine,' she assured him.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Immediately she sensed that there was something troubling him too. She took a step back to search his face.

'What's the matter?'

'I don't know. It seems like everything's going wrong today. Uninvited guests showing up out of the blue, Sam gone missing...'

'Missing?' Stepping next to Valene, Peter pricked up his ears. 'Since when?'

'She went shopping this morning and should have been back hours ago. I was just going to head out and look for her when these folk fell out the sky.'

He pointed behind him to where Griffin was just coming out of the house. The three newcomers looked his way, and Peter stared in amazement.

'I don't believe it...' he murmured. 'Pop, are you seeing what I'm seeing?'

Kwai Chang Caine smiled in that enigmatic way that always made Jack want to hit something. Griffin joined them. He suddenly seemed much more at ease than before. He even smiled.

'Hi there, stranger.'

He held out his hand. Peter seized it, gaped at him in disbelief for a moment, then suddenly embraced him like a long-lost brother. His father followed suit with equal cordiality.

'It is good to see you again, old friend,' he said.

'You too.'

For a while the men just stood looking at each other. Then Valene drew attention to herself.

'Uh, Peter...?'

'Oh yeah, sorry.' He slipped an arm around her. 'Val, this is Kermit Griffin - the grouchy old computer freak you've heard so much about. Kermit, this is Val.'

'Valene Avery,' she introduced herself. 'It's a pleasure to meet you at long last.'

'The pleasure is all mine. I only hope Peter restricted his stories to the good stuff.' He glanced at Jack. 'So this is your sister, huh? Now I know what you have against Peter.'

'What, you've only just met and you're already ganging up on me? Charming.'

Jack ignored Peter's words. Instead he returned to the subject that was foremost on his mind.

'Would somebody care to explain what's going on here?'

Peter swallowed his annoyance. 'Kermit and I are old pals,' he said. 'We served at the same precinct, back when he was a cop.' He addressed his next words to Kermit. 'What are you doing these days? You never did get in touch after you'd left.'

'I'm a bodyguard.'

'Seriously? Figures. After all, you saved my butt often enough. Who do you work for?'

'The President of the United States,' Jack replied irritably. 'He's just lugged his whole kit and caboodle into my kitchen, and Sam is still not back yet, and unless someone starts making sense of all this within the next five seconds, I am going to start banging heads together until I get some answers!'

'Jack, everything's fine.' Valene squeezed his arm and did her best to soothe him. 'I'm sure Sam's okay.'

She looked questioningly at Caine, who nodded.

'Samantha is unhurt,' he confirmed. 'She will be with us soon.'

His words did little to reassure Jack, but he allowed his sister to lead him back inside. John and Phoebe had come to the door by now, and David also joined them. Kermit introduced everyone.

'So Jack was actually being serious?' Peter marvelled as they went into the house. 'You really do work for the president?'

'Yep.'

'What's he doing here?'

'We'll explain once we're all inside. What brings you here, anyway? Is it some kind of family reunion, or did your dad have one of his visions?'

'Actually, Peter's the one who had the vision,' Valene replied, shooting her boyfriend a worried glance. 'We were already on our way here when... Caine joined us unexpectedly.'

The hesitation before her last words, and the change in her voice, caught Jack's attention. Anxiously he looked down at her sleeve again. If he had his way, he would have liked to sit her down on the sofa right away, and get the truth out of her, but not with all these people watching.

'I'll go get us some drinks,' he said. 'Give me a hand?'

Valene followed her brother into the kitchen and smiled a little when he insisted on examining her arm before laying his big, warm hands on her shoulders. It gave her such a soothing sensation that she felt infinitely relieved to be with him.

'Are you sure you're all right?'

'Yeah, I'm okay,' she replied wearily.

'What happened?'

'I'd rather not talk about it right now, if you don't mind.'

'Well, I do mind!' Jack protested. 'I've had a lousy day, Val, and I would really like to know what the hell is going on!'

'I don't know any details, only what Peter saw in his vision. It was horrible.' She shivered. 'Death and suffering everywhere and... and he just knew we had to come here, that we had to come to you. I can't explain it. I don't really know what's happening myself, but something's about to change dramatically, Jack, and it's going to affect all of us.'

She looked so pale and tense that Jack softened immediately. He put his arms around her and held her close. Valene leaned her head against his shoulder, hugging him back.

'It's okay,' he murmured comfortingly. 'We'll figure it out, kiddo.'

Shortly after they rejoined the others and handed round the drinks - water for the Sheridans and for Peter, tea for his father... Griffin asked whether they had any scotch.

'Not in this house, but I can offer you Irish whiskey,' said Jack.

'That'll do fine.'

'On the rocks?'

'I'm more a straight up kind of guy.'

'Right you are.'

Jack handed him the drink, poured two more glasses for himself and Valene, and then finally sat down. He took a sip and let his armchair tip back until it almost touched the wall.

'Right, I'm all ears. Come at me with your explanations - preferably in plain English.'

Everyone exchanged glances. Griffin - _Kermit_, he reminded himself and chuckled inwardly - nodded at Sheridan encouragingly.

'Sir...'

The president cleared his throat, and the room fell silent while he explained once more what he had been forced to announce. It was only news to Jack by now. His chair fell back onto the wooden floor with a thud, and his eyes hurriedly sought those of his sister when he learned that people with abilities like hers were to be segregated. His mind was clear of doubt: There was nothing he wouldn't do to prevent anything of that kind from happening to her.

'Have they gone nuts?' he burst out. 'Do they deliberately mean to foment hatred? Are they looking to start another holocaust, only this time world-wide?'

'I'm afraid some are,' Sheridan said gravely. 'What began with my speech has already grown into a global witch hunt, and it's still escalating. Mass riots; people with special skills being labelled as freaks, their homes set on fire; gunfights... I can't tell you how deeply sorry I am that my words should have been the cause of such horrors.'

'Don't blame yourself,' Phoebe said quickly. She was sitting on the sofa beside him, her arms wrapped around her son, but now she reached out and patted John's arm. 'You only announced what others had decided. None of this is your fault.'

Jack watched this exchange with a furrowed brow. Not long ago, he had referred to Sheridan as the most powerful man in the world, but he no longer believed that. Jack was pretty good at reading people, and this man showed none of the arrogance he expected of politicians in general. On the contrary, right now he merely seemed helpless.

'One thing I still don't understand,' Peter said at last. 'Why are you here?'

Sheridan looked a question at Kermit, who nodded as he set down his glass.

'It's quite safe, sir. You can trust these people.'

The president did so. 'We fled for our son's sake.' He glanced at David and said, 'He has dreams that allow him to see the future.'

'Visions?'

'If you like.'

He explained how they had reached their decision to flee at once - to get David out of Washington, take him somewhere they would be able to hide.

'David chose this location himself,' he added. 'He saw it in a dream and drew it on a map.'

Jack stared at the piece of paper the president laid on the table, where the child's hand had drawn in every detail: the town, the mountains, the lake, the house... He looked up at Kermit.

'You called me by my name when you got here. Did David dream that too?'

'No. But I made some enquiries while we spent two weeks taking the scenic route here, until I could be sure we'd shaken the bloodhounds. You are Jack Avery, born in Ireland in 1985. Your parents were Jeffrey and Ellen. They emigrated to the States with you and your sister following the bombing by the Real IRA in Omagh in 1998. Your father joined the Marines, until he went MIA in 2005. You yourself gave the Army a try, but you had problems accepting authority. You quit and travelled the world, until you met an esteemed young archaeologist in England about thirteen years ago. You and Samantha celebrated your tenth wedding anniversary this summer... Would you like me to continue?'

Jack said nothing, but fixed Kermit with a wary stare. Anger furrowed his brow, and he balled his hands into fists.

'You've been spying on me?'

'Yes,' Kermit said blatantly. 'I like to know who I'm dealing with.'

'But how do you know all this?'

'Kermit always was well-connected,' said Peter. 'If there's anything you need to know, ask him. There's nothing he can't find out.'

'Really? So does he know when Sam's coming home?' Jack retorted.

'She is not far,' Caine assured him. He turned to Peter. 'Show them what you found, my son.'

Peter went to get the map from his coat. He spread it out on the low wooden table, and David bent over it wide-eyed.

'What are those patches? Is that blood?'

'Please don't touch, honey,' his mother begged, but it was too late.

'Yes, it is,' Peter admitted. Without going into any detail, he summed up, 'A lot of people died because the map didn't lead them where they had been told. They were lured into a trap.'

He pointed to the place where he and Valene had found the bodies. Jack raised his eyes from the map. He looked at Valene, whose face told him that this was where the thing had happened that she didn't want to talk about.

'Come on, out with it,' he insisted. 'What happened?'

She sighed heavily, knowing how Jack would react when he learned the truth. As briefly and concisely as she could, she explained what had occurred. Predictably, he flew into a rage.

'Where the hell was the rookie while you were out there fighting all by yourself? First he drags you across the Rockies in this weather because of some stupid vision, and then to cap it all he goes and abandons you out there?'

'That's not how it happened!' Peter protested just as hotly. 'And by the way, I'm in the same room as you are. If you have something to say to me, then say it, but don't act like I'm not here!'

Jack gritted his teeth. 'I always knew you'd bring her nothing but trouble.'

'Guys, please!' Valene interrupted them forcefully. 'Can we discuss this some other time? I think there are more important things right now than your constant bickering.'

'He started it!'

'Only because you...'

'Enough!' Both men fell silent. Valene took a deep breath and then pointed at the map again. 'This is where they led those people who were trying to escape persecution. Peter found out that someone had sold them this as an escape route.'

'It's not far from here,' Kermit pointed out.

Still struggling to regain his composure, Peter nodded.

'Instead of a way out, all they found in the cave was death. Still... Even if this wasn't the right spot, I do believe there is a path. I just don't know where it is.'

'Do you have any idea where it leads?' Phoebe asked hopefully.

Peter shook his head. 'I'm not sure.'

He closed his eyes for a moment and recalled the beginning of his vision: confused images; shimmering light, a tunnel, a humming in his ears. His face contorted with pain, and he rubbed his temples. Valene stroked his light brown hair.

'Is everything all right, hon?'

Jack looked away, rising from his chair and crossing to the window. His patience was hanging by a thread. He didn't care what Caine's Kung Fu mysticism told him. If Sam wasn't back in ten minutes, he would go looking for her.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Gathering**

Lighting a fire wasn't an easy thing to do. Jason rubbed two sticks together to no effect whatsoever, and reminded himself that he had never been much good at this sort of thing as a boy scout either. He went back to the vehicle and searched the pockets of his backpack for the third time, but with the same result as before: He had packed neither matches nor a lighter. That had been a very foolish omission on his part, but on the other hand it hadn't been quite so cold when he had started out, and he had not expected the rented pickup truck to hiss, smoke, and grind to a halt on a bumpy track miles away from civilisation. On the contrary, it had been his intention to be back in town by supper time and return to Calgary in the morning. Once there, he meant to book the first flight back to England. This whole journey had been a mistake he was eager to correct as quickly as possible.

For now, however, it wasn't possible at all, as a glance at his smart phone confirmed. Not that he had seriously expected to get a signal up here in the mountains. And even if he had, he very much doubted whether the garage that had rented him the broken-down truck provided a 24-hour recovery service. By the look of things, he was left to his own devices. Well, he thought, that was something he ought to be getting used to by now.

Jason climbed back into the truck and turned the ignition key - a last attempt to get the engine up and running again. The sound it made sounded almost scornful. So, he had proved unable to light a fire, he couldn't start the truck, he would never make it back to town on foot, and he had nothing left in his backpack except for an empty water bottle, a useless mobile phone, and his wallet, which he opened briefly to look at the photograph of Melanie that he always carried with him. It seemed like a fitting end to a journey he should never have embarked upon in the first place. Perhaps it was even a fitting end to his whole life.

With dusk settling in around him, Jason adjusted his seat to a more comfortable position. He rubbed his left thumb against his golden wedding band and closed his eyes. This way he could pretend she was here with him - that he had turned back the clock and decided that, after all, he would invest all his savings in that honeymoon she had always wanted. Why had he been so sensible at the time? He had loved Melanie, so why hadn't he given her everything she wished for as long as he had the chance? He still loved her so much. Even though she had been gone for some time now, he felt the loss as keenly as if it had been yesterday. Not for the first time he thought, '_I can't live like this._' Perhaps it was for the best then. Darkness fell all around him, and it was getting colder; bitingly cold. A cold that went right through to the marrow and which his body would not be able to bear for very long. This he knew, but it didn't bother him. He would stay here and surrender to the cold, simply drifting off to sleep...

'Hey. Hey, come on, wake up!'

Jason really didn't want to move, but someone was shaking him so hard that they left him no choice. He opened his heavy eyelids to see a woman bending over him - he could see her silhouetted against a pair of bright headlights behind her. Shifting his position slightly, he also realised he was no longer in the truck, but lying by the roadside on a kind of thick tarpaulin, covered with a blanket. The scent of tea reached his nostrils.

'Can you sit up?' The stranger gripped his arm and helped him, then she filled a cup. 'Here, drink this. It's not fresh, but at least it's hot, and that's just what you need right now.'

His fingers were stiff with cold, his hands shook and wouldn't grip. She helped him lift the cup to his lips, and he allowed the strong beverage to warm him from the inside while she firmly rubbed his limbs to get the blood circulating again.

'How are you feeling now?'

As she asked that question, Jason became aware for the first time that her accent was the same as his own. It surprised him, and he looked at her more closely. He guessed her age to be around forty, or a little over - the big blue eyes in her pretty face contrasted with dark brown hair, which she had tied back into a loose ponytail. Unlike him, she was sensibly dressed in a thick down jacket with a faux-fur collar and warm woollen gloves.

'A bit better,' he said a little hoarsely.

In her turn, she started slightly as she heard him speak, but nevertheless continued unfazed.

'You haven't picked the best of places to spend the night. The nights are cold out here, and hypothermia is a dangerous thing.'

'I know. It wasn't my idea,' he responded, pointing at the truck.

Frowning, the woman looked across at the vehicle and said, 'If it wasn't so late already, I'd be happy to give you a lift back to town and have a few words with Chuck about that old pile of junk he rents out. You're not the first tourist to be stranded in one of his rust buckets. Consider yourself lucky the brakes didn't fail. However...' Her tone became pragmatic. 'I really must get home now, so you'll just have to come with me. You can borrow my car to get back in the morning.'

'That's very kind of you, but I really don't want to cause you any trouble.'

'Oh, you're not, don't worry. Come along now, up you get.'

She helped Jason to stand on his shaky legs and stayed with him until he was securely seated in her SUV. She fetched his backpack from the pickup truck, placing it on his lap as she climbed into the driver's seat. It was only then that she thought to ask his name.

'I'm Jason - Jason Cox. From...'

'London, England. Yes, your accent told me that,' she remarked with a smile. 'Sam Avery. I'm from London too, originally, but I've been living in the Rockies for a good few years now.' She started the engine and drove off, and then asked outright, 'What are you doing here, Jason?'

'I've been asking myself the same thing.'

Sam threw him a sidelong glance before returning her gaze to the ruts in the road, steering the vehicle along them.

'Are you on the run?'

'What?' Her question surprised and confused him. 'What would I be running from?'

'It was just a thought. You could be one of those people - you know, with special abilities that you would have to register. I only heard about it in town today, and I have to say, I would understand completely if someone wanted to get away from all of that.'

'Oh. No.'

'No, you're not one of those people, or no, you're not on the run? I realise you don't know me, but I promise you can trust me. I wouldn't give you away.'

'No to both questions.'

'I see.' She fell into a pensive silence for a while, then asked, 'What do you make of it, Jason?'

'What do you mean?'

'What we were just talking about. These new laws requiring people with supernatural abilities to be registered.'

'To tell you the truth, I haven't really thought about it.'

It made him feel a little guilty that a matter of such importance meant so little to him. Doubtless it would cause a lot of people a lot of suffering, and there was a time when that would have bothered him deeply. But he hadn't been able to feel compassion for others for a very long time now. His own troubles demanded all his attention.

If Sam was surprised by his words, she didn't show it. She seemed preoccupied with her own concerns, and above all she appeared eager to get home. They drove through dense woodlands, where the headlights only shone a few yards ahead in the pitch blackness, and yet the SUV made swift progress. When the trees thinned out at last, Jason saw that they were heading towards a large log cabin with several smaller outbuildings on the bank of a lake. Lights flickered behind the ground floor windows.

They heard an animal cry as Sam applied the brakes, and a dark shadow shifted behind one of the windows. The SUV stopped, and Sam jumped out. She made sure Jason could manage okay, then turned towards the house. At that same moment, the door opened and something large and shaggy came bounding their way - was it a wolf? Jason retreated a few steps, but although Sam seemed surprised, she clearly wasn't afraid of the animal.

'Lobo!' She crouched down and began petting the wolf. 'Hello, big fellow. What are you doing here? Are Peter and Val with you?'

Lobo didn't answer, of course. He peered at Jason and approached him, making him want nothing more than to turn tail, climb back into the SUV and lock the door, but Sam advised against it.

'He just wants to get to know you. Keep quite still, and he won't hurt you.'

Lobo sniffed Jason suspiciously at first, until he appeared to decide that the young Englishman did not pose an immediate threat. They had just taken a few steps towards the house when a man came out. Dressed all in black, his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses even in the darkness, and he was pointing an imposing-looking gun at them. Sam recoiled visibly.

'Who... are you?' she asked the stranger. Her voice sounded annoyed, but also a little anxious. 'What are you doing in my house? And where's my husband?'

'It's all right, I'm here!' called a voice with a distinctive brogue.

A second man appeared at the front door and strode hurriedly towards them. He was somewhat taller than Jason and the man in black, unshaven and with a shock of fair hair turning silvery at the temples. His worried gaze searched Sam's face.

'There you are at last, I was starting to think you weren't coming home tonight.' He turned to the other. 'Put that thing away! This is my wife, Goggles.'

The big Irishman stepped close to Sam while the other man lowered his firearm. But when he spotted Jason, his eyes narrowed distrustfully.

'Maybe I spoke to soon. Better not put that gun away yet, Kermit. Sam, who's this halfling you've brought home with you?'

'Jack, this is Jason Cox,' Sam introduced him quickly. 'He rented a car from Chuck, and of course the engine packed up on the road through the forest. He was half frozen by the time I found him - I couldn't just leave him there.'

Jack Avery studied Jason just as suspiciously as Lobo had done - from his short, strawberry-blond curls to the fawn-coloured parka and far too light shoes - and threw him a forbidding look.

'You're out of luck,' he said. 'There's no room at the inn.'

'Why, who else is here? I suppose Lobo being here means Peter and Val are, but who's this?'

Jack rolled his eyes expressively. 'He's the bodyguard. Calls himself Kermit Griffin. The glasses don't come off, by the way, I think he must have been born with them. And he needs to learn to set a better example to the kid and stop treating that gun like some kind of toy!'

'What kid?'

'It's a long story. But what about you? Are you all right?' His last words were gentle.

Sam nodded. 'I'm perfectly fine, I just got held up in town. All hell has been let loose, you wouldn't believe it...'

Her voice sounded shaky, and Jack put his arms around her. 'It's going to be okay, _a stóirín_. Go on inside, I'll just get the stuff and follow.' He went to the boot of the car and unloaded her shopping. Thrusting a few bags at Jason he said, 'Take these inside, Goldilocks, and make yourself at home. Mi casa es everybody's casa, today anyway.'

Jack's eccentric way of expressing himself notwithstanding, he certainly hadn't exaggerated the crowded state of his home. The living room was filled with the strangest assortment of characters Jason had ever seen in one place, and he and Sam both reacted with equal incredulity when they recognised John Sheridan and his wife.

Sam asked for an explanation which came forth hesitantly. Trusting her wasn't the problem - Jason felt keenly that he was the one who didn't fit in and roused suspicions, at least where the men were concerned. The young woman Sam had introduced as her sister-in-law was another matter. She studied him long and thoughtfully, and then seemed to have no concerns about letting him in on their conversation - not even when they began discussing what to do next.

'I vote we try to find the right cave,' she suggested.

'Assuming it exists.' Jack shook his head doubtfully. 'It's more than likely the fugitives were lured there with lies.'

'No, I don't believe that,' said Peter. 'I sense there's a core of truth there somewhere.'

'Me too.'

David rummaged through his backpack and produced several items. There were pictures of a dark crack in a wall of rock and a narrow passage, along with words he had scribbled on scraps of paper: _tunnel,_ _portal,_ _Eden_ ...

'What does all this mean?' Sam asked the boy.

'I dunno. I only saw this place in my dream. The picture of the cave entrance and the words sort of came to me later, when I was writing it all down. I heard them in my head, but I didn't recognise the voices.'

Jason considered the child that was sitting there calmly talking about his dreams as though they were real events; not to mention voices inside his head dropping cryptic hints that didn't seem to worry any of the other adults in the slightest. Even Jack, the most sceptical of them all, seemed to believe that if David had dreamt of it, the path must exist, and if he had written down those words, then they must hold significance.

'And how do we find this tunnel? Do you have any idea where it might be? Or you, Peter? You said you'd had some kind of vision. It would be nice if it actually proved useful for a change.'

The tall young man sitting next to Valene answered Jack's question in the negative.

'Not at the moment. It was all too jumbled to make sense of. But who knows, maybe I'll get another clue now that we're here.'

'Wonderful.' Jack sounded far from thrilled. 'And just how long is that going to take?'

'No idea.'

Peter looked to his father for help, but he merely raised his shoulders and let them fall. Jack grumbled something in Gaelic that caused Valene to throw him an angry glance. Sam became practical again.

'Well, there's nothing more we can do tonight. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling rather peckish. Is anyone else hungry?' She looked at David, who nodded eagerly and raised his hand, and smiled. 'Jack, why don't you fire up the barbecue, and I'll go and see how far we can stretch the groceries I bought today.'

'I'll give you a hand, Jack,' Peter offered, and Valene immediately rose too.

'In that case, I'm coming with you. You'll need a referee.'

'Can I go outside too, mom?'

'Okay,' said Phoebe. 'But do your zipper up and put a hat on. And please don't get too close to the barbecue. Don't stray too far though...'

'Don't worry, he'll be fine. Lobo will keep a lookout,' Peter promised, calling the wolf to his side.

His words did not appear to reassure David's mother, but David leapt up excitedly. They were not yet out of the house before he started asking Jack how many horses they had in the stable and whether he could visit them, whether there were fish in the lake, whether he liked fishing...

'I'm sorry, Ms. Avery,' Phoebe apologised to Sam. 'I hope our son won't bother your husband too much. I'm afraid he doesn't often get to meet new people, and when he does it's rarely in such informal surroundings, so when he gets the chance...'

'There's no need to apologise. Jack loves children, especially when they're as lively as your David. And please - call me Sam.'

The two women went to the kitchen together. Caine was nowhere to be seen, although Jason had not noticed him leave the room. In any case, he was now alone with President Sheridan and his bodyguard, which made him very uncomfortable. Sheridan tried to get a conversation going - asking where he was from and how he had ended up bumping into Sam out here - but Jason wanted nothing more than to leave. He answered the questions curtly and withdrew as soon as he thought he could do so without seeming too rude.

For a moment he considered going to the kitchen and offering his help, but he didn't really feel like being anywhere he would have to interact with other human beings. Instead he went outside. There was enough space here to avoid everyone, but he was quickly reminded how bitterly cold it was. He wasn't used to such cold, and his coat clearly wasn't thick enough for such low temperatures. Fortunately it was just for one night. In the morning he would accept Sam's offer and take her car back to town. Then he would call the garage and demand that they send someone to pick up the heap of junk Chuck had palmed off on him. After that, he would go back to London, back home, and then...

So far he hadn't thought beyond that. Nor did he get a chance now, for a scream broke into his thoughts, making him whirl round in search of the source. Lobo howled, and turning his head towards the noise, Jason saw where it had happened. He broke into a run.

'David!'

Lobo was standing next to the boy, who lay on his back at the foot of a tree, too startled to make another sound. The wolf growled at Jason with his hackles raised, causing him to hesitate. Jack, Val and Peter were running towards them now, and Peter reacted almost without delay.

'Lobo, get back!'

The wolf withdrew obediently, and Jason at once dropped to his knees. Automatically, as though someone had pressed a playback button, he began to speak soothingly to David while his practised hands examined him adeptly - the neck, the shoulders, the spine... He took off his scarf and pressed it against a bleeding wound at the back of the boy's head.

'It's not as bad as it looks. Luckily there's no need for stitches, but I am going to need clean water, disinfectant, and bandages.'

'That's all back at the house,' said Jack.

'I'll go let Sam know.'

Valene ran back immediately. The others were already coming towards her.

'What happened?'

'David took a fall. Looks like he was trying to climb a tree. Sam, we need a first aid kit...'

'David? Oh my God!'

Phoebe shot an anxious look at her husband and then ran to her son, who had begun crying and calling for her. Sheridan and Kermit weren't far behind.

'How is he?' David's father asked as soon as they got there.

Jason, who had just been checking the boy's bloodshot eyes, declared himself satisfied with his condition, given the circumstances.

'He's a lucky boy. His head came down on the flat ground - fortunately it missed this sharp rock here, and the snow absorbed some of the force. He does have a slight head injury, but nothing serious. I don't think he's got concussion, but I suggest he lies down for the rest of the day, just to be on the safe side. We should get him inside...'

Not waiting to be asked, Jack bent to pick David up and carefully carried him into the house. A whole procession formed behind them. Only Peter stayed behind, waiting until his father came up beside him, as he had known he would.

'Where were you? Why didn't you help David?'

'He is in good hands. My help was not required.'

'So you stayed out of the way deliberately, huh?'

Caine shrugged with a smile. Peter grinned and slipped an arm around his shoulders.

'Come on. You get to help me with the barbecue. I'm sure everyone will be starving by the time they've recovered from the shock.'

Jack laid David down on the sofa by the warm fireplace, and Sam brought him a soft pillow and a thick duvet. Jason cleaned and dressed his wound carefully. When Phoebe and John thanked him, he advised them again to make sure David lay as still as possible. It was his intention to withdraw after that, but on his way to the door, Valene blocked his path.

'So... You're obviously no novice at this kind of thing,' she remarked. 'Quite the professional. Are you a doctor, then?'

'I used to be.'

'Why didn't you tell us?'

'Why should I? After all, you haven't told me what you do for a living.'

'Touché. Okay - I am, or rather I was, an FBI agent.'

Jason was so surprised that his amazement temporarily penetrated his armour of indifference. He studied the attractive Irishwoman more closely and discovered that she, in turn, was appraising him searchingly. Her eyes peered into his with such intensity that he was unable to avert his gaze, and for a moment he seemed to be looking into a violet sky where tiny spots of colour sparkled like stars. With an effort, he forced himself to blink, shaking himself slightly to break the spell.

'FBI?' he echoed a little hoarsely. 'And yet you believe all this stuff about supernatural inspiration, prophetic dreams, hearing voices...?'

'I don't just believe, I know it's real. Well, if it weren't, what would be the point of these laws?'

Jason said, 'I don't deny there are people who have special abilities. Heightened receptiveness to telepathic and empathic impulses in certain people have, after all, been at least partially proven scientifically by brain wave measurements and empiric research. But visions of the future? Disembodied voices?' He shook his head. 'They're just fantasies, or dreams at best.'

'Peter was wide awake when he had his vision.'

'Daydreams then, or maybe he dozed off without noticing.'

'Then how do you explain that David drew this place on his map? And please don't tell me you think it's just coincidence.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't believe there's any such thing. Just like I don't believe that Sam finding you on the way home was pure chance.'

'Surely you don't think I was lying in wait for her.'

Valene shook her head. 'Of course not. But I do think something or someone - some higher power - wanted you to find your way to us.'

'Oh please, don't give me that!'

'What?'

'To all things in life there is a reason; the Lord works in mysterious ways; God will ensure that everything goes according to His plan, even though we might not realise it...'

It sounded as though he were quoting someone. In so doing, his voice took on a bitter note that was at variance with his youthful, soft features and sensitive blue eyes. Valene let down her guard for a moment, allowing herself to feel his emotions. They crashed into her with such overwhelming force that she staggered slightly. Seeing this, Jack hurried to her side.

'What's wrong, kiddo? Are you feeling ill?'

'No, no. I'm fine.'

That might hold true for her, but certainly not for Jason. He had closed up again and slunk off into a corner, apparently hoping that she would forget about him. But it was too late for that. Valene had glimpsed into his soul and sensed a deep pain that stirred her compassion. She made up her mind, there and then, to help him if she could.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Leaving**

'Uh, Kermit, what are you doing up there?'

Peter stood looking up the tree that David had fallen from. Kermit swore. It was damned uncomfortable up between the branches, but the kid had been right. Awkwardly, he climbed back down and shot a sullen glare at Peter, who was laughing heartily.

'Seems to be the only place in these darn mountains that has coverage.'

'So that's why David tried to climb the tree! Isn't it kinda risky to use a cell phone when you don't wanna be found?'

'Not if it's mine. I pity the guy who tries to trace this signal to its source. A few months of work will only lead him to a bunch of unpleasant people.'

'Friends of yours, I assume?'

'Nope, the opposite - good old enemies; the kind that would love to get their hands on me and don't take kindly to anyone who mentions my name without telling them where I am.'

His lips curved in a satisfied grin as he imagined it. Then he turned his attention back to Peter.

'Have you gotten anywhere with your visions yet?'

'No. I need peace and quiet for that, and I don't think I'm gonna get either until everyone else has gone to bed.'

'That probably won't take long, we're all pretty full, after all. I gotta say, I wasn't too sure what to make of this Jack character at first, but he's not a bad host.'

'As long as you keep away from his sister,' Peter grumbled.

'Well, what can I say - I get where he's coming from.'

The look of annoyance on Peter's face made Kermit laugh, and finally Peter grinned.

'No wonder you two get on. Brothers!' he complained, rolling his eyes.

'I have to say I get you too, though,' said Kermit. 'Valene sure is attractive.'

'She's so much more than that.'

Peter's words came from the heart. Kermit nodded and gave a crooked smile.

'I'm sure she is. You never were satisfied with beauty alone; you have high demands. She's gotta be athletic, intelligent, funny... and a good cook, right?'

Peter chuckled. 'Now that Val is not. Pasta, frozen pizza... everything else is left up to me.'

'You cook?' Kermit gripped his arm, feigning shock. 'Who are you, and what have you done with my old friend Peter?'

They grinned at each other for a moment. Peter was the first to return to seriousness.

'I really missed you, you know?'

'Aw, don't start.'

Kermit waved it aside, but Peter would not be silenced.

'No, I mean it. After all, we used to spend a lot of time together, and we went through a lot. And I always knew you'd be there when I needed you.'

'Just like you were always there for me. I'd say that hasn't changed, but this one time, Sheridan needed me more."

'As his bodyguard?' Peter made no attempt to conceal his surprise. 'I'd sure like to know how he talked you into that one.'

'I owed him.'

That was clearly all Kermit was willing to say on the subject, at least for the time being. They returned to the house, where some of the others had already gone to bed. Valene approached Peter.

'We're being moved out to the stables,' she said. 'I was hoping for my old digs in the extension, but the Sheridans are sleeping there now. So Sam has put us a heap of blankets in the hayloft.'

'I only hope you won't be too cold out there,' said her sister-in-law. 'Perhaps you should take an extra heater up with you - there should be one in the shed.'

'I'm sure we'll figure out a way to keep warm,' Peter remarked mischievously, pulling Valene closer to him.

'That's what I figured, which is why Goggles is moving in with you.' Jack stepped up to Kermit with his arms full of more blankets and thrust them at him. 'Here. I'm relying on you to make sure these two behave themselves.'

'I'm surprised you're letting us bunk together at all,' Peter retorted. 'Why don't you make Val sleep on a cot in your bedroom and lock me in the tack room or something?'

'Oh, believe me, the thought did cross my mind, but...'

'But I told him not to be so silly,' Sam interrupted.

She slipped her arm through Jack's and rested her head against his shoulder. The small gesture was enough to soften him. Jack smiled down at her affectionately, and wishing the other three a good night, they went back inside.

'So where's this fine luxurious bed chamber of ours?' Kermit asked.

'This way.'

Valene and Peter led the way to the stable. The five horses gave off a cosy warmth, and yet Kermit stayed as far away from them as he could. There wasn't much that scared him, and even less that he would admit to, but he secretly acknowledged that he was somewhat awed by these large, strong creatures.

Lobo was already lying on the ground close to Tanimara. He lifted his head for a moment, yawned widely, and stretched out again. Valene headed straight towards a ladder. A short climb brought them into the hayloft, which was certainly worthy of that name - no-one who had allergies could have spent a night up here.

The trio were hardly surprised when a familiar pair of hands reached out to them at the top of the ladder and helped them up.

'Pop. Don't tell me you're sleeping up here too?'

Peter feared this was the final blow to his romantic dreams for the night. They all settled down, and although Kermit and his father made their beds as far away as possible to give them a little privacy, he got no rest. His mind was working overtime - dwelling on the home they had left, the cave full of corpses, David's notes, and the vision that had brought him this far and on which he now had to rely, for it was his only clue to what lay ahead. He struggled to focus on that and ignore the deep snores issuing from Kermit's corner. Beside him, Valene turned around. Though it was dark, Peter didn't need to see in order to feel her face close to his. Her warm breath fluttered across his skin as she whispered to him.

'Hon, you need to rest. You can't force a vision.'

'I have to - somehow. If I don't, how will we know where to go tomorrow?'

'Maybe nowhere.'

'What do you mean?'

'Maybe we're meant to stay here for a few days before we move on.'

'Under your brother's roof? Oh no, anything but that!'

Valene chuckled. 'He's not really like that, you know? Actually he's the dearest soul. And he likes you a lot.'

'Only you could think that.'

'No - I know it. Because I know Jack. And I know you.' Her finger softly stroked the line of his jaw. 'How could anyone not like you?'

'Mhm, so much flattery, and at this late hour,' he teased. 'Why do I get the feeling you're after something?'

'I only want to help you relax,' Valene said innocently.

'Then... you should stop... touching me like that...'

Talking became difficult, so he stopped. Instead, he sighed and gave in, bending over Valene to kiss her. Since he wouldn't get much sleep tonight in any case, he might as well enjoy himself.

The next vision overwhelmed Peter unexpectedly at the crack of dawn. In the end, he had fallen asleep after all, albeit only briefly. Now he was sitting bolt upright, eyes wide open. Valene sat up too, wrapping a blanket around her to keep the freezing cold air off her skin.

'Peter? Honey?'

He reached for her hand and squeezed it so tightly that it hurt, but Valene made no attempt to free it. She watched him worriedly, for although she was familiar with these visions of his by now, it never got easier to see the colour drain from his face, or the brown eyes lose their mischievous sparkle and stare through her emptily, like the eyes of a blind man. Deep within her, she felt the anguish that was tearing his mind apart.

'Caine!'

'I am here.'

Kwai Chang Caine knelt beside his son, taking Peter's left hand in his right, and then took Valene's free hand to complete the circle. His deep, steady breathing calmed them both. He closed his eyes, the better to see what Peter saw. Valene was there too. The entrance to a cave, narrower than the mass grave Lobo had discovered a few days ago. It was just a crack in the rock that appeared to lead into a pitch-dark tunnel. Peter took a step towards it, inexorably drawing the others with him.

'Wait, my son,' Caine advised calmly. 'Look around you. Do you know where we are?'

Valene could feel the effort it cost Peter to resist the pull of the cave and avert his gaze. At last he succeeded, but only for a moment. Then he uttered a groan, closed his eyes and slumped down. The snow-covered landscape vanished instantly.

'Damn!' Valene cried, then quickly wrapped Peter in a blanket, for he was shivering with cold.

'I-it's okay,' he chattered. 'I-I saw it. I know w-where we have to go. God, is it just me or is it colder than it was last night?'

'Come here.'

Valene opened her blanket and snuggled up to him, quickly warming him up and stopping his shaking. Kermit cleared his throat.

'Ahem, did I miss something?'

He looked completely dishevelled. There was hay all over his clothes and sticking out of his beard and hair, which made him look like a particularly fierce scarecrow - a scarecrow wearing dark green sunglasses, of course, for they were present as ever.

'Do you actually sleep with those on?' Valene asked. 'What are you hiding? Have you got deadly red laser eyes - or a rolling glass eye?'

Peter laughed. Clearly he was feeling somewhat better.

'Kermit always says the green glasses filter out personalities that grate on his corneas. That's right, isn't it?'

'Right.'

'Do I grate on your corneas?'

Kermit tilted his head a little to one side and studied her. Then he raised his hand, took off his glasses, and slowly opened his eyes. Valene had been steeling herself for a shocking sight - scars perhaps, staring eyes or maybe icy blue ones that would make your blood run cold - but she was wrong. Nevertheless, she boggled a little.

'Oh...'

'What's wrong? Disappointed?'

'Not exactly. Your eyes are just not what I expected. Although they are extraordinary.'

'Extraordinary?' Peter looked up doubtfully. 'I'd say they're brown.'

'If you called them extraordinary, Caine, I'd worry,' Kermit grunted, replacing his glasses with a hint of embarrassment.

'I think they're beautiful. Soulful...'

'Yeah - uh - thanks. That's exactly what I was going for as a hard-nosed mercenary facing off drug lords down the barrel of a gun.'

Valene's mouth twitched. 'Okay, I get it. _Hard-nosed_. I'll remember that.'

Kermit grunted, but she could tell he wasn't quite serious. She was beginning to understand why Peter considered this somewhat eccentric, outwardly forbidding grumbler one of his best friends. In some ways, he reminded her of Jack. Speaking of which...

'Who else wants to go see if the others are up yet? I'm getting peckish, and...'

'... and you want your coffee,' Peter joked. 'Sure. Let's go back to the house. I'm hungry too.'

Kermit and Caine withdrew discreetly and went on ahead while Valene and Peter threw some clothes on. In so doing, Peter couldn't resist pulling her into his embrace once more and kissing her intensely before they left the stable, holding hands and with Lobo at their heels.

Delicious smells were wafting from the kitchen. Valene would have liked nothing better than to grab a mug of her favourite elixir of life immediately, along with a thick slice of bread, but her bladder had other priorities.

'I need the loo first,' she explained when Jack came over with the coffee pot in his hand.

'Good luck with that.'

'Why?'

'Because Goldilocks disappeared in the bathroom about an hour ago and we haven't seen hide nor hair of him since.'

Sam glanced at the clock. 'Actually it's been twenty minutes, which is still odd, considering he only wanted to go for a quick shave.'

A quick shave. Yes, that had been his intention. He had asked Sam whether they had a razor in the house, and she had given him Jack's shaving knife. He had never used anything like it before. In fact, it had been some time since he had held any blade as sharp as this in his hand. Jason stared down at it sourly. A drop of blood had dried on the shining metal, evidence that he had cut himself on his first attempt to get rid of the stubble that had begun sprouting since yesterday morning. His mind was playing tricks on him; making Jason see the blood spread, becoming a flood of thick, red liquid that stained his hands, filling his head with horrified screams, then making it throb painfully.

Jason gripped the edge of the sink with both hands and looked in the mirror. His face was white as chalk and glistening with sweat, even though he had only just washed. Once again, he glanced at the knife in his hand. Suddenly it was like the sharp blade was smiling at him, and his heart beat faster. Everything else faded into the distance. He was standing in a narrow room with no way out. All that remained was him, the blade, and the blood coursing through his body. Jason gazed from the razor in his right hand to the pulse on his left wrist, watching it beat in a rhythm that seemed to resound inside his head.

It would be so simple. Just a few cuts - he knew exactly how to make them so it would be quick - and he would be out of it all. It wasn't such a bad idea. After all, he couldn't do any good in this condition. He merely existed from one day to the next, without benefit to himself or to anyone else. That was no way to live. He couldn't go on like this. The knife could be a way out...

And yet he didn't use it. Something inside him wouldn't allow it. His analytical mind tried to find the reason. Fear was the simplest answer - fear of death and the unknown. And perhaps a certain amount of pride - a kind of arrogance that prevented him from fleeing life because he didn't wish to go out as a coward. Was there a smidgeon of hope too? After all, he vaguely remembered a time when he had been different - when he had enjoyed life, even though it felt like a dream now. If he had been happy once, couldn't he be so again? But how could he, after what had happened? Without Melanie...

Jason looked in the mirror again, and abruptly the stupor of the past minutes left him as suddenly as it had come. His mind was clear once more. He threw down the knife as if it had burnt his hand. God, what was he thinking? Had he really just been contemplating taking his own life? What an unreal sensation, and how utterly melodramatic! It wasn't like him at all. Gingerly he sat down on the floor, his back against the bathtub, knees drawn up, and buried his face in his trembling hands. He stayed like that for a long time, until someone rapped on the door.

'Jason? Are you still in there? Can you hurry, please, I really need to go.'

It was Valene's muffled voice that reached him, and her knock became more urgent the longer he failed to react.

'Jason? Hello? Are you okay in there?'

He couldn't speak at first, but had to clear his throat, and then the words tumbled out.

'Yes, I-I'm... coming, I just need to... Just a minute. I'll be right out.'

He leapt up, turned the tap on, hastily wiped the shaving knife and splashed water over his face. Then he grabbed a towel and went to the door.

'Good morning,' he said shortly, pushing past Valene and into the hallway.

She watched him go. He had been holding the towel up to his face, so she had only caught a glimpse. Nevertheless, Valene could have sworn his eyes were bloodshot, as though he had just been crying. Pensively, she entered the bathroom, locked the door and went to the sink. The shaving knife was still lying there. Picking it up, she shuddered. She forced herself to put it away and focus on her morning ablutions.

While Valene freshened up, brooding all the while, she was in turn disturbed by a knock at the door. It was Sam.

'I just wanted to check if you needed anything. Towels, or a change of clothes perhaps?'

'If you have something I can borrow, that would be heavenly! Peter and I have been wearing the same two sweaters for two weeks now.'

'Eww.' Sam's cringe was only half play-acting. 'Well, you're more than welcome to anything you can find in my wardrobe that you fancy.'

They went to the bedroom together. There was plenty of choice, and although Sam was slightly shorter, the two women did at least have a similar build. Some of her things were not at all to Valene's liking, however, because she either didn't like the colours or the cut was too "girly" for her taste. In the end, she picked a green polo-neck sweater.

Sam said, 'That's been lying on a shelf for ages, I think I've only ever worn it once. Green really isn't my colour, but it suits you very well.'

'Thanks.'

Sam passed Valene some fresh, warm socks and comfortable jeans too - they came up slightly short, but that wouldn't matter over her boots. She sat on the edge of the bed while Valene got dressed, absent-mindedly playing with the fringe on the bedspread.

'What's wrong?'

Valene's question tore Sam out of her reverie and made her jump.

'Nothing. Everything's fine.'

'Of course it is. Tell that to your face.'

Sam chewed her lower lip. 'It's just... Jack and I got some packing done last night, and we stayed up for a long while, talking... I'm just not happy about having to leave so suddenly without knowing when we're coming back.'

'I know the feeling. Don't get me wrong, I like seeing you, but I'd much rather be home alone with Peter in our little cabin right now.'

'I understand. There's no place like home. I feel that every time we get back from a dig. I miss it more and more each time, and sometimes when I'm offered a place on an expedition team, I really have to force myself to accept.'

'But it must be pretty exciting work. Exploring old buildings, analysing clues, collecting relicts... I always think you must feel kind of like a detective.'

Sam laughed. 'Yes, it is like that in a way. And once I've worked up the enthusiasm, I do enjoy myself, especially since Jack has started coming with me. That way we can combine my work with a holiday. Our last trip was to Scotland - I'm sure you'd have loved it there; gorgeous landscapes, lots of nature and not too many houses, castle ruins... We came across some really interesting skeletons too. I still haven't got a clue what killed those people. It's a real mystery, they were lying in these mass graves... Oh, I'm so sorry.'

The word "mass graves" had caused Valene to flinch and the blood to drain from her cheeks. For a second, she was back inside the cave with the dead bodies all around her, but she succeeded in pushing the image to the back of her mind. She dismissed the matter.

'It's okay. In six hundred years or so, someone will probably stumble across the remains of the poor souls we found in that cave and try to figure out how they died.'

'I doubt that. After all, you left the men who attacked you in the same cave and called the rangers. They're hardly likely to leave the bodies behind.'

Valene chose to ignore her sister-in-law's nitpicking and reached for a hairbrush. She took her time taming her freshly washed hair before facing Sam again.

'You know, you really don't have to leave here,' she said. 'Peter is having these visions, and he needs to get to the bottom of them. Of course I'll go with him, but you two don't have to come with us. This has nothing to do with you.'

'Surely you know your brother better than that. He sees these new laws as a direct threat to your safety. There's no way he'll let you out of his sight.'

As she spoke, Sam studied her searchingly, and Valene sensed the many questions she was burning to ask.

'I guess he's not far wrong,' she admitted.

Sam probed cautiously, 'Are your abilities really so strong that you couldn't just conceal them from the authorities? I know you had some problems after your mother's death, before you came to live with us for a while, but everything's back to normal now, isn't it?'

'Define _normal_,' Valene remarked drily. She shook her head. 'No, I can't hide it, Sam. I'm fine as long as I'm on my own with Peter, but other than that... Even here I'm finding it difficult to keep my head clear.'

'How do you mean?'

Valene didn't answer her directly, but hemmed and hawed instead. Sam frowned.

'Don't you trust me?' she asked quietly.

'It's not that,' Valene assured her quickly. 'It's just that I've been struggling to get a handle on this for years, and I suppose I've gotten used to keeping it to myself whenever I can, especially in my dealings with normal people. Please don't get me wrong, I just think my abilities and the problems that go with them would be hard to understand when you've never had to deal with anything of the kind yourself.'

'I wish you'd let me try. I sometimes think if I only had a better understanding of what your abilities are, then I might understand Jack better too. You see, there are things about him that still puzzle me, even after all these years.' She sighed. 'But I don't want to force you into telling me something you're not ready to share - even though I'm bursting with curiosity. Perhaps you could do me a favour, and just think about whether you mightn't be able to confide in me. After all, we're going to be spending quite some time together for a while, because I know Jack won't leave your side as long as he's this worried about you. And neither will I,' she added with a smile.

Valene smiled back. 'That's sweet of you. I promise I'll think about it.'

Sam nodded, rose, and had almost reached the door when Valene called her back.

'Have you got a minute to talk about something else?' she requested.

'What is it?'

'It's about Jason. To tell you the truth, I'm worried...'

Sam sat down again and the two of them talked for a while, making plans together before they went back down. The breakfast buffet Sam had laid out in the kitchen was looking somewhat sparse by now, but at least Jack had just made fresh coffee. He poured out a cup, looking glum. Clearly he had something on his mind. He was so lost in thought that he even forgot to argue with Peter, who had only waited for them all to come together so he could report his latest vision.

'A crack in the rock? And a tunnel?' David cried excitedly. 'Cool, that just like my notes! D'you know where it is? Are we gonna go there?'

He looked at his father, who nodded slowly. 'If Mr. Caine is willing to guide us, I think we should investigate this place.'

'It's practically on my way,' said Peter.

It was quite true. He sensed that the tunnel wasn't the end of his journey. The visions were leading him step by step to something else, of that he was certain. He just didn't know what that something was. Valene peered into his eyes. She knew what he was thinking, and she didn't like it one bit. But secretly, she thought the same, and so did Jack. She didn't even need to read his mind to know that. And Caine?

The Shaolin priest was as inscrutable as ever. He sat on a chair, quietly sipping a cup of tea, not saying a word himself, yet watching and listening attentively as they talked about packing all the necessaries after breakfast and making an early start. Phoebe was dismayed to learn that even the two suitcases to which she had reluctantly restricted herself thus far were now too much to carry.

'Can't we at least take one?' she begged.

'How?' John queried. 'There are only five horses, and everything we take has to fit into their saddlebags or our backpacks. That's all we can manage.'

'But we'll need a change of clothes. And what about towels and blankets, and...'

John laid his hand over hers to soothe her. 'We're together, and David is unharmed. That's the main thing. And we're lucky to have met up with some good people who are willing to help us. Is it really so important whether we have one sweater each or two? Anything we need to take to wear, we'll just have to carry on our persons.'

Phoebe nodded. 'I know, I know, you're right.' She forced a smile. 'But it is a pity to lose that reindeer sweater.'

John laughed and said, 'If it makes you happy, I'll wear that too. Only don't be sad. I can't bear to see you cry.'

'I'll try.'

While they busied themselves filling their backpacks and David's, Sam stood looking at the photographs on the mantelpiece. She did this every time they left home for a longer journey; it was a kind of farewell ritual with her. There was the picture of her mother and brother, both of whom had died; a wedding photo of herself and Jack where he was standing up to his waist in the water, holding her in his arms - in her soaking-wet wedding dress, because he had just dipped her in the lake; a picture of Valene and Jack as children, he with braces and she with pigtails; and one of Jack and Valene's parents. Sam committed the images to memory and checked to make sure she had packed her smart phone, where she had saved her favourite ones.

A few hours later, they were ready, their backpacks and saddlebags full to the brim. They had also packed some weapons from Jack's old collection. David was running around excitedly, taking snapshots of everyone and everything: the horses, Lobo, the house, the Colt in his father's hand, his mother's anxious face...

'Where's Jack?' he asked suddenly. 'I don't have any pics of him yet.'

'I think I know where he might be,' said Sam. 'I'll get him.'

It didn't take her long to find him. Jack was standing on the jetty, looking out across the lake that sparkled in the winter sunlight. He made no move as she silently came up to him. Only when her hand brushed his arm and she slipped it into his did he turn to look at her.

'What's the matter, darling?' Sam asked.

'Nothing. I was just waiting for everyone to finish packing. Are we leaving now?'

'Ready when you are.'

'Let's go then.'

'Wait.' She pulled him back and looked up into his dark eyes. 'Tell me what's bothering you.'

Jack gently stroked her hand and heaved a sigh. 'It's just a bad feeling I've got. My gut is telling me things I really don't want to hear.'

'Such as?'

'That this goodbye is forever; that we won't be coming back.'

'Do you think something is going to happen to us?' she asked, startled.

'I don't know. I don't think that's it, but still... Something tells me we're not going to see our home again.'

Saddened, Sam looked around her. She loved this place, these mountains, this lake, and the house where she had spent the hardest and the happiest of times. Leaving was difficult enough, but if Jack's hunch was right - and they usually were - the thought would be almost unbearable. All those memories, all the precious little treasures that they had collected over nearly twelve years of living here... She would miss them, like pieces of herself that she had to leave behind. She felt a lump in her throat that only came loose when Jack held her close to him and kissed the top of her head. She slipped her arms around his middle.

'I love you,' she murmured against his chest. 'Wherever this journey takes us, whether we come back or not - the only that matters is being together.'

'You're right, _a stóirín_. And we will be. No matter what.' He stroked her cheek tenderly for a moment. Then he added cynically, 'It's a shame we have to take Peter along, but I guess there's no way we can avoid it, huh?'

Sam had to laugh. 'You know, Peter's not as bad as you try to make yourself believe. If you just gave him a chance, I'm sure you'd come to like him soon enough. Which I think holds true for someone else too.'

Jack raised his eyebrows quizzically. 'Oh? And who might that be?'

'Jason.'

'Goldilocks? Now why would you suddenly try to talk me into thinking that boy's going to be my best friend one day? What are you getting at?'

'We should take him with us.'

'Absolutely not.'

'But Jack...'

'Didn't you see how he turned pale from just looking at a gun earlier? How do you think he'd react if we actually got into a gunfight?'

'He's still very young and besides, he's a doctor, not a soldier. With the Averys' talent for putting themselves in danger, we may yet need him.'

Jack shook his head. 'I'd sooner let Caine dig a bullet out of me.'

'Please - Val and I have talked this over, and we both think it's important for Jason to come with us. She asked me to speak to you about it. She says she senses that he needs help.'

'Then give him a car and a map, and show him the quickest way home.'

'That's not the sort of help she meant. She meant the psychological kind.'

'And here I was thinking it couldn't get any better.' There was no mistaking the sarcasm. 'He's not some stray dog, Sam. You can't just feed him up a bit and keep him as long as his owners don't call to get him back. A wimp like that has no place on this kind of trek. Send him back where he came from and tell him to go find himself a good shrink. That's the best help you can give him.'

'If he were a stray dog, you wouldn't be so heartless!' Sam blurted out, but apologised at once. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. It's just that you're such a good-hearted man, Jack. You couldn't walk past a wounded animal without stopping to help. I'm only asking you to do as much for a wounded young man.'

Jack gritted his teeth. 'What do you two think is wrong with him?'

'I have no idea, but Val is worried about him - and so am I.'

Jack never had been capable of resisting the pleading look in her blue eyes. He threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

'Fine, if you two have already made up your minds, who am I to argue? But what do you expect me to do about it? Do you want me to throw him over my saddle against his will? Would you like me to put him on a leash, or tie a bow around his neck?'

Sam playfully punched his stomach, stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss.

'You really are the kindest person I know, my love.'

'You're just saying that because you're getting your own way, as usual.'

His words were grumpy, but his arms told a different story. He held her tightly, as if he wanted to hold her in this place and in this moment forever. Only the artificial clicking of David's camera brought them back to the present.

'Gotcha!' he cheered and proudly showed them the result.

'Oh, that's a lovely picture.'

'Delete it. Now.'

'Don't you dare! If we ever make it back to civilisation, I'm going to have that printed on canvas so I can hang it up in our living room. Come along, darling.'

David watched them go and took another look at the photo he had just taken. He skilfully tapped a few buttons to give it a title.

'Jack and Sam making out.'

Laughing, he ran after them, rejoining the others who were waiting outside the stable. Jason came straight towards them.

'Thank you again for everything.' His words were aimed mainly at Sam. 'If there is anything I can do in return...'

'Actually, there is.'

A little taken aback by the promptness of Sam's reply he stammered, 'Oh... uhm... yes?'

'Come with us.'

Her suggestion dumbfounded him. Sam nudged Jack, who hurriedly cleared his throat before backing her up with somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm.

'Yes, why don't you? That's a splendid idea. Just come along. I'm sure it won't be long before my sister's hotshot boyfriend gets her in trouble again, and then he's going to need a doctor - after I'm done with him.'

'I don't think I'd be of much use to you. I'd only be in your way.'

'Nonsense,' Sam protested. 'We'd really like you to come.'

Jason shook his head. 'I'm sure you mean well, but no thank you.'

'You're seriously gonna pass up the opportunity to go on a real, honest-to-goodness adventure?' Peter queried as he and Valene joined them. 'Who knows if you'll ever have another chance? You should seize it while you can.'

'I'm really not the adventurous type. I think it's best if I just go back to London.'

'Do you have someone waiting for you there?' Valene enquired.

She had noticed that Jason was again playing with the golden ring on his left hand. When he saw where she was looking, he stopped self-consciously.

'No,' he said. 'Not anymore.'

'Then please come with us. You could keep an eye on David, in case his injury causes him any bother, and Jack is right in a way: We're all inclined to attract trouble, I'm sure we could use our own personal medic.'

Jason continued to refuse, however, until Kwai Chang Caine intervened in his quiet, yet compelling manner.

'Your fate has already become entwined with ours,' he said, crossing and twisting the fingers of both his hands together to illustrate his meaning. 'We share one path. That is where your future lies. Your old home holds only darkness for you. If you return there, it will envelop and consume you.'

Jason began uncertainly, 'You mean...'

Caine took Jason's hand between both of his. 'I feel your pain, my young friend. Grief and guilt surround you like a dark cloud. You must let go of them so that your spirit can soar again. Turn your back on despair and accompany us. Then you will find hope and joy in your life once more.'

The four who stood around Caine and Jason saw his eyes fill with tears. In that typical way of his, the Shaolin had clearly put his finger on the nub as always. Jason's protests grew weaker.

'I'm really not equipped for such an expedition...'

'If that's all, we'll soon solve that problem. Come along.'

Like a sleepwalker whose body is being controlled by an external force, he followed Sam into the house. She got a few things out of the wardrobes.

'Jack's sweaters will be a few sizes too large for you, but at least they're warm. And this old down jacket of mine should just about fit you. Unless you'd rather have something more form-fitting in mauve.'

She winked at him teasingly before going out to let him change in peace. A short while later, he joined them back at the horses, now wearing a red jacket and carrying a spare sweater in his backpack.

'Finally. Can we go now?' Jack demanded impatiently.

Standing next to her brother, Valene could feel strongly what he was feeling. He wanted to get it over and done with. If he had to leave the home that he had built with his own sweat and his heart's blood, then he would rather do so quickly, before he lost his nerve. She knew the feeling well enough, for she would have liked nothing better now than to turn down the path that would take her back to the cabin in the woods where she and Peter had lived happily for the past few years.

The riders mounted up. They only had half as many horses as there were people, so they agreed to take turns riding and rest often so that the horses could have a break too. Peter took the lead, since he was the only one with a notion of where they were going. His father rode alongside him, while Valene on Spartan and Sam on Chinook followed behind them. Jack's horse brought up the rear, before the rest of the group on foot. David ran around chasing Lobo through the snow, and expressed his excitement without reserve.

'We're almost like the fellowship from _The Lord of the Rings_!' he said. 'Only there are ten of us instead of nine, and we have Lobo too.'

'So Caine is Gandalf, right?' Kermit joked.

'Yes! Peter is Aragorn, Jack is Boromir, Jason is Legolas... You can be Gimli.'

'Oh thanks,' Kermit laughed. 'Where does Valene fit in?'

'She's Arwen,' David said at once. 'The movie version, because I liked her better.'

'What if I'd rather be Éowyn?'

Valene had overheard their conversation and reined in Spartan so she could join in.

'Hm, yeah, that suits you,' David admitted. 'But Éowyn doesn't end up with Aragorn.'

'Well, then I guess Peter will just have to be Faramir.'

'But then he'd be Jack's brother.'

'That should be interesting!'

She laughed so merrily that Jack turned in his saddle. His mood improved instantly. Seeing his little sister laugh like that made it impossible for him to persist in his gloominess. He rode up next to Sam, who looked at him and took his hand. Jason saw the loving looks they exchanged; they made him feel his own loss all the more keenly. Lowering his gaze, he focussed on the tracks in the snow ahead of him.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Other Side**

In spite of the cold, it wasn't long before the travellers on foot were sweating. It was an uphill journey, and trudging through the deep, untouched snow was hard work. Even David slowed down and kept stopping to take photographs of the scenery or of Lobo, who was no longer bounding through the snow quite so enthusiastically as before. But it was John who finally called a halt. He stood bending over, hands on his thighs, breathing heavily.

'Is something wrong?' Phoebe worried.

'I'm fine,' he panted. 'Just a little out of shape. It's been a while since I did this kind of thing.'

'You could say that. And you didn't have as much weight to carry back then,' she remarked with a smile, patting his stomach.

John pulled a face. 'That's your fault for being such a good cook. Well, I guess this is as good a way to burn fat as any. I'm okay. Let's keep moving...'

'Just a few more minutes, then we'll stop and rest a while,' said Peter, who had ridden on ahead with his father and just returned. 'We've spotted a stream where we can take a break and water the horses.'

With these words, he dismounted and offered Tanimara's reins to John, who declined.

'No really. I can manage this last bit.'

'I'm sure you can, but I'm tired of sitting. I need to stretch my legs, only the lady doesn't like to be led by the reins. You'd be doing me a favour, sir.'

He grinned archly at John, until the latter rolled his eyes and took the reins.

'Fine. Thanks.'

It had been a while since he had been up in the saddle too, but he discovered it was like riding a bike: something you never lost the knack for. He soon felt so comfortable that he found himself wondering why he hadn't ridden for so long. It was something he really needed to do often in the future, if he got the chance.

A short distance along they reached the spot the Caines had chosen for a break. Peter's father had already got a small campfire going and started boiling water for tea and coffee. Kermit brushed the snow off a rock and sank onto it, rubbing his weary calves. Peter patted his shoulder.

'You're getting old, pal.'

'And you're getting brave...'

Peter laughed and returned to Tanimara. The horses had to be taken care of before the riders could think of resting. As Jack stood patting his trusty steed, he watched Phoebe and David. The boy's mother was in the process of telling him not to splash about in the water with Lobo, do his coat up and pull his hat over his ears. She also wrapped his scarf once more around his neck. Jack grunted.

'What's the matter?' Sam enquired.

'That woman would drive me nuts.'

'Phoebe? I rather like her.'

'So do I, but I hate the way she's always mollycoddling that boy and wrapping him in cotton wool. She's what I call a typical mother hen!'

'I suppose she is, but it's understandable. Who knows, I might be the same in her place. Once you've lost a child, it's probably difficult not to be overprotective of the second.'

'What?'

'Phoebe told me last night that they had another child before David,' Sam explained. 'She showed me her baby's lock of hair that she keeps in her medallion. The poor little thing only lived for six months. Imagine having a sweet little baby girl for six months, and then suddenly losing her just like that - cot death. It must have been awful for them both. Apparently it took them years before they felt they could try again.'

'Ah. That explains why they became parents so late in life. I mean, he must have been at least my age when David was born, and she's not much younger either.'

'Right. In that case I suppose I should be glad there's no risk of my ever becoming pregnant - since you think I'm too old anyway,' Sam said quietly.

'Oh Sam...' Jack embraced her at once. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. You'd make a wonderful mother, even now.'

'Really? What if I started behaving like a mother hen too?'

'You wouldn't.'

'Well, as you're so sure of that...' She brushed his hair back from his face and tugged at the zip on his coat. 'Do your coat up, there's a good boy, and then come and drink your warm milk.'

Jack chuckled. 'All right, you've convinced me. You're practically sprouting feathers already!'

While they went to get their hot drinks, John found himself a seat on the rock where Jason was already sitting. The spot gave a wonderful panoramic view of enormous mountains with snow-covered slopes and peaks, interspersed by white plains with tall pines whose snowy caps sparkled in the glorious sunshine.

'It's been a long time since I saw anything quite so beautiful,' he remarked. 'Like heaven on earth. Even that cloud is shaped almost like an angel's wings, don't you agree?'

Jason shot a surprised glance at him, but quickly turned away again.

'Yes, it's nice,' he admitted without enthusiasm.

Although Jason's whole posture said plainly that he wanted to be left alone, John was not so easily deterred. He was curious by nature, and in this case had a particular reason for wanting to find out as much as possible about the travelling companions they had only just met yesterday. After all, these people's characters might prove vital to his son's safety. Friendly as they all seemed, he still chose to proceed with caution.

'If the scenery doesn't impress you, why did you come to Canada?' he enquired.

Jason's reply came hesitantly. 'It was my wife's dream to come here.'

'Your wife? But I thought you were travelling alone.'

'My wife is dead.'

'Oh.' For a moment, John didn't know what to say. Jason struck him as so very young, and yet apparently, he was already a widower. He shook his head in consternation. 'I'm so sorry. Guess you're going through a tough time right now.'

'It's been a while.' Jason's next words held a bitter note. 'I've been told I should be over it.'

'When did she die?'

This time, Jason did not hesitate. 'One year, seven months, three days ago.'

'I don't think that's very long at all. Not when you're mourning someone you love.'

John rolled up his left sleeve to show Jason a tattoo on his forearm. It was the name "Anna", decorated with a white rose.

'Our daughter,' he explained. 'It's been seventeen years since we lost her, but sometimes it feels like it was yesterday. I think of her every day, not just because I look at her name. I grieve for her - sometimes more, sometimes less. I used to wait for the day when the pain would end, but there are some losses we never quite get over. We can learn to live with them, and if we're lucky, it gets easier in time. For my wife and I, having David helped a lot - although it was many years later. Our love for him has been a great comfort to us both. That's the good thing about the human heart: It has a limitless capacity for love. I know it probably doesn't feel that way now, but if you've fallen in love once, you can do so again.'

'I'm not looking for another love.'

'You don't need to. If it's meant to be, it will find you. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but someday. Fortunately, it's never too late.'

Jason didn't believe that, but he said nothing. He realised the president was only trying to comfort him, and appreciated his kindness. Nevertheless, it was a subject he wouldn't have wanted to talk about to his best friend, if he had one, much less a stranger. He fell silent once more, and this time John no longer pushed him, but went to rinse out his coffee mug in the stream.

They all agreed to keep the break as short as possible - partly because they were keen to reach their destination quickly, and partly because it was too cold to stay in one place for long. Valene and Peter let John and Phoebe ride their horses, but Kermit and Jason both refused Sam and Jack's offers, although Kermit was still visibly exhausted.

'Wild horses wouldn't get me up on that nag,' he grumbled.

Jack covered his horse's ears. 'Watch it, Goggles. He has feelings too, you know!'

'Can I ride him?' David pleaded.

'Darling, you've never even sat on a horse,' Phoebe said doubtfully. 'Wouldn't it be better if you started out on a smaller one?'

David looked at Sam's black-and-white paint mare. He had to admit she was beautiful, with her unusual markings and pretty blue eyes. But he was far more taken with Jack's tall, white-maned bay stallion. Noting the fact, Jack had to grin. The boy was just like he had been at that age: Thirsting for adventure, fear and caution were words not found in his vocabulary. He introduced him to the horse.

'This is Angus. He's a quarter horse.'

'He's really cool. Can I ride him, please?'

Jack looked questioningly at David's parents. His father nodded his consent, but his mother still seemed doubtful.

'Don't worry. He's very good with children,' Sam assured her.

'The horse or your husband?'

Sam laughed. Knowing there was no stopping David once he had made up his mind to do something, Phoebe reluctantly agreed. Jack lifted the beaming child up to the saddle and showed him how to hold on. Angus was on his best behaviour; he held still and waited patiently for Jack to take his reins and lead him at a leisurely pace.

They continued in this manner for another hour before Peter signalled for them to stop once more. Valene followed him as he left the group and then stopped, staring intently into the distance.

'What do you see?'

'Nothing. But I can feel something. It's not far now.'

'Then why are we stopping here, if we only have a short way to go?'

Peter shrugged and said nothing. Valene's gaze followed his, and for a while neither of them spoke. Finally Peter sighed.

'It's no good. We have to keep going, no matter what.'

'No matter what?' Valene's words echoed his. 'I don't think I like the sound of that. What do you think is going to happen?'

'I dunno, but I have a feeling there's danger ahead.'

'We've faced danger before.'

'Yeah, but we never had civilians with us, let alone a child.'

'But we also have your father. What could possibly go wrong?'

Her words brought a wry smile to Peter's lips. They both knew that the answer was infinite, and that there was no use worrying about it now. They could do no more than be as ready as possible, and improvise when the time came. Together they rejoined the others and cut short their break. The group moved on, but it wasn't long before Peter again raised his arm.

'Why are we stopping this time?' Jack called from behind. 'Is there something up ahead?'

'We're here,' Peter announced.

All eyes fixed on him in surprise. There didn't seem to be anything special here, just more of the same snow-covered rocks and plants that they had been seeing since their departure that morning.

'Uh, where exactly?' Jack queried.

'Is it the tunnel? Have you found it?' David asked excitedly.

He hurried forward, and was disappointed that there was nothing to see. But Peter nodded.

'We're close, we just need to find the entrance.'

Everyone started looking. Only Caine stayed where he was, closed his eyes, and searched with his mind. But it was Lobo who made the discovery and howled to alert Peter. Peter stepped up to the rock face where the wolf was standing, and pushed away the snow and scrub.

'Is this it?'

'Yeah, looks like there's a tunnel leading into the mountain here.' He shone his flashlight into the dark passage. 'The roof is low. Looks like an old mining tunnel, but I can't tell how long. I think it slopes down.'

'Is it too low for the horses?' Valene asked.

'No, but they're not gonna like it. We'd best lead them in last.'

'Kermit and I will go in first,' John decided.

Kermit muttered something under his breath.

'What was that?' Jason asked, coming up beside him.

'I said I hate dark passages with only one way out.'

'Claustrophobia?'

'No,' said John. 'Just paranoia.'

He stepped into the tunnel, and Kermit grudgingly followed him in. Jason kept just behind them, then came Phoebe and David. They soon proved Peter right: The tunnel led downwards. It broadened out, but continued perfectly straight. After they had been walking through the darkness for some time, they became aware of a strange humming sound that began faintly, but increased in volume the further into the tunnel they ventured. When it had become so loud that their bodies seemed to vibrate along with it, Caine called out a warning from the back of the line. They stopped and let him pass.

'What's he doing?' John asked quietly.

The Shaolin stood in front of them, moving like a mime pretending to feel an invisible wall. His palms swept in fluid motions this way and that, up and then down.

'No idea,' said Kermit.

Jack had joined them too. He reached out his hand as Caine was doing and frowned.

'Can you feel anything?' Jason enquired.

'Cold air, that's all. Just keep going.'

Jack pushed Jason forward a few paces, past Caine. But as soon as he passed the invisible barrier that Caine seemed to feel, Jason groaned, stumbled against the wall and covered his ears.

'Jason!' Valene exclaimed in alarm.

Peter gripped her arm and pulled her back, for she was ready to follow and help him. Just then, the flashlight went out. Anxious and excited voices spoke all at once, and the horses whinnied nervously.

'Shhh, be quiet!' Peter called out. 'Does anyone have a spare battery?'

'Hold on, my cell phone has a light... Dammit, the battery's dead...'

'Mine too...'

'It is not the fault of the batteries,' said Caine's voice. It sounded muffled, as if he were standing behind a pane of glass. 'Technical devices will not work here.'

'Fantastic! So now what?'

A small light flickered near Peter - a match, which was then touched to the wick of a candle. Peter faced Jack in surprise.

'Seriously? You packed candles?'

'What can I say? I'm an old romantic.'

'You got the "old" part right.'

'Guys, please, not now!' Valene broke into their squabbling.

She took the candle from her brother and shone it ahead. Jason was standing upright once more, still looking pale, but otherwise apparently unharmed. Caine was with him.

'You okay?' Jack asked somewhat guiltily.

'Yes,' Jason assured him. 'But be careful as you go. There's something there...'

He shook his head confusedly. It was incomprehensible. There was nothing to see, and he hadn't physically felt anything either. Nevertheless, he had suddenly experienced an icy chill, he had become dizzy and felt sick, and his ears had started ringing. It was over now, but he still felt queer. He was standing in the same tunnel as before, just a few yards further on, and yet he had the strangest feeling, like a vast chasm had been torn between him and Caine on one side, and their companions on the other. The others experienced the same when they followed, and not one of them understood what had just happened. The only one who might know more was Kwai Chang Caine, but he said nothing. He gave them all a moment to recover, then took the lead as they continued along the tunnel. The flashlight came back on.

Nothing had changed. The tunnel looked just the same as before, only now it began to slope back up. When the exit came into view, John and Kermit took the lead again, Colt and Desert Eagle locked and loaded, just in case. They signalled the others to wait while they cautiously peered outside, but there was no sign of danger. In fact, there was no sign of anything.

'There's nothing here!' David cried disappointedly when everyone was back outside. 'It all looks just the same as where we went in.'

Jack's eyes searched the area, and he confirmed the boy's words.

'It does look like we're back where we started. The trees, the rocks - everything's just the same. We were heading east when we entered the tunnel, but we've come out facing west.'

'That can't be,' said Sam. 'The tunnel was completely straight, and if we had been here before, we should be able to see our own footprints in the snow, but they're not here.'

She turned to Caine, who was pensively looking up at the sky.

'Jack is correct,' he declared, pointing ahead. 'The sun will set there.'

'But Sam's right too, we were walking straight all the time,' Valene protested. 'We'd know if we had made a U-turn!'

Meanwhile, Kermit had produced his compass, and now showed it to the two women.

'I would agree with you, but this is proof: Both ends of the tunnel face west. It should be impossible, but it's true.'

'So now what? What do we do? Peter?'

Peter had been dreading this moment since the conversation had begun: the moment when all eyes turned to him, the one who had led them here. But this made no more sense to him than anyone else. He looked to his father for help, but he merely shrugged his shoulders. Kermit scratched his bearded chin.

'Well, I guess there's no point going back through the tunnel; I'm sure we didn't miss a turning or anything. And standing around here won't do any good either, unless we want to freeze our... uh... toes off. I say we just keep going and see where we end up.'

'Which will probably be the same place where we started. Not that I'm complaining,' said Jack.

Since no-one had a better idea, they all agreed. The way downhill towards the west seemed very familiar, but one thing was odd: Although there had been no fresh snow, they couldn't see any traces of the first part of their journey, in spite of taking the same way back! It was really strange. If they had been here before, why was the snow undisturbed? And if not, why did everything look the same? No, not everything. Very soon, they came across the first clue that something else was different here. It was the bridge.

On the way up, they had come to a gorge, at the bottom of which a mountain river ran gushing by. This they had crossed by way of an iron bridge, wide and sturdy enough for a small truck. The gorge and the river were unchanged, but the bridge was quite another matter: a rickety construction made up of partially frayed ropes and planks of wood, and neither Valene nor Peter fancied crossing it. Even Kermit, who wasn't normally scared of heights, took one look and then suggested that they postpone the crossing until after lunch.

'Be glad your stomach's empty - that way there's less for you to throw up,' Jack joked.

Valene gulped hard and shot her brother an unhappy look. Taking both her hands in his, he spoke gently to her.

'Hey, kiddo. Don't worry, it'll be fine. We're all going to go across now, and then we'll sit down and have a nice lunch.'

'I can't cross this bridge, Jack.'

'Yes, you can. Just focus on Spartan. It's going to take some expert horse-whispering to get him across. Talk to him, think of him and nothing else, and you'll be fine. Okay?'

She nodded tightly. Both she and Peter concentrated on soothing the animals and encouraging them to cross, thereby distracting themselves from their own fears. The group crossed the bridge in pairs, not wanting to risk putting too much weight on it all at once. Progress was slow this way, but the creaking of the wood convinced them that they were going the right way about it. Jack went on ahead with Sam and waited for Valene to reach the other side. He folded her in his arms.

'Well done, sis,' he said warmly. 'See, that wasn't so bad, was it?'

'I'm shaking.'

'That's because you need to eat.'

They gathered wood for a fire to keep them warm while they ate the sandwiches they had brought. David gulped down his meal quickly, because he had plans to build a snowman while the grown-ups were still eating. He persuaded Jack to help him, and together they looked for a spot where "Frosty" would get the best view around. In so doing, however, they stumbled upon more evidence that this could not be the same way they had come: the remains of a meal, as confusing as they were unsavoury.

'These rabbits were skinned before they were eaten,' Jack discovered on closer inspection. 'But they weren't cooked.'

'What kind of animal skins its prey before eating?' Peter wondered, coming to see for himself.

'More likely a human with a taste for raw meat - straight off the bone, as you can see from the teeth marks.'

'Yuck! Can you make any sense of this, pop?'

Caine joined them. He spread his hands over the remains and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked worried.

'Do you know what killed them?' Jack asked. 'Was it human or animal?'

'Both.'

'What? How...?'

'I cannot explain it. We must leave this place now. I sense... a presence.'

'What kind of presence?'

'I do not know.'

'Great! Well, I guess we shouldn't hang around to find out.'

They extinguished the fire, gathered their belongings, and started moving once more. Not long after, their path led them through a familiar copse, beyond which an outcropping afforded a distant view of the lake where Sam and Jack's house stood - or rather, where it should have stood.

'What the hell is going on?' Jack exclaimed. 'That's our lake down there, it's got to be, there can't be another one so much like it. But where's our house, and what are those buildings?'

'Looks like some kind of settlement,' said Valene.

Peter got out his binoculars for a closer look.

'Wooden houses, a palisade... Reminds me of an old frontier fort, only bigger. And the men on the guard towers are carrying modern weapons.'

Jack shook his head in disbelief. 'No, no, no, this is all wrong. That's our home, dammit!'

'It is not,' said Caine. 'Not in this world.'

'What?'

Rather than explain himself, Caine suddenly raised his hand for silence and stood quite still. His brow was furrowed. Everyone kept quiet. Peter stepped up to him silently and looked around. He knew what was bothering his father; he could feel it too.

'There's something out here,' he whispered. 'Something dangerous.'

Lobo growled deep in his throat, as if in agreement, and his father nodded.

'We must find shelter.'

'There should be a cave lower down,' Kermit remembered.

He led the way, the others following behind. Even if some of them may have had their doubts to begin with - by the time they reached the entrance, they all knew Kwai Chang Caine and his son had not been mistaken. Figures had appeared on the slopes and in the thicket all around, and although they didn't have time to look more closely, they all felt threatened by them. By now, they had almost reached the safety of the cave, it was just a few yards away. They started running, but suddenly David tripped and fell, and then lay gasping on the ground.

'David!'

John bent to pick up his son, and ran on almost without slowing down. They gained the shelter of the cave, where Phoebe began desperately rummaging through her son's pockets.

'What are you looking for?' Sam asked.

'His athma inhaler, it... It must be in his backpack. Where is it?'

'Asthma?' Jason came over quickly, took one look at the boy, and glanced back over his shoulder. 'There!'

He could see David's backpack, lying a few yards from the mouth of the cave. Their pursuers were getting closer.

'Jason - don't!'

Valene reached out a hand to stop him, but too late. He had already broken cover and was running towards the strangers, whom she could now see more clearly. They were all male, and generally human in shape; they walked upright and appeared to be wearing leather and furs. But looking closer, she realised the fur was not on their clothing - it was a part of them. Their limbs were covered in pelts with a variety of different markings and shades. Their leader was taller than the tallest human and clearly possessed the strength of the cougar he resembled, not to mention the same sharp teeth.

'What are those things?' Peter wondered behind her.

'Can we worry about that later?' Kermit suggested impatiently.

He already had his gun out, and he and Jack had taken up positions by the cave entrance. Kermit's first bullet struck the cougar-man's shoulder, just as he dropped down on all fours and made for Jason.

'Idiot,' Jack grunted, then bellowed, 'Get back here!'

Jason grabbed David's backpack and ran as fast as he could, while Jack and Kermit did their best to hold back his pursuers without hitting the wrong target. As if by some miracle, he reached the cave unharmed, handing the backpack to Phoebe. Behind him, Peter and Valene added their firepower to the others', until the strange creatures kept their distance. Jack turned on Jason.

'Are you crazy, or just suicidal? That thing out there could have swallowed you whole!'

'The boy needed his medicine,' Jason replied breathlessly, pushing past Jack to join Phoebe, John, and David, who was now inhaling.

'How is he?'

He made a brief examination. The child was still scared, which Jason could readily understand, but he was no longer fighting for every breath.

'Thank you,' said Phoebe. 'That was a very brave thing you did.'

'More like very stupid,' Jack muttered, returning to his post.

Caine crouched down at David's other side and handed him a mug of water.

'Drink this. You will feel better.'

'W-what's in it?'

'Chinese herbs that will help you to breathe.'

David drank it obediently, pulling a face because he didn't like the taste, but it was helping. Jason left his patient to the ministrations of the Shaolin, straightened up and leaned back against the rock wall. The chill running down his spine had nothing to do with the coldness of the stone. When he thought about what he had just done, he acknowledged that Jack was right. He had taken an extreme risk, and he didn't know whether he would have been able to do so, had he had time to think it through beforehand. A part of him was still refusing to believe the things he had seen - the other part was secretly screaming in terror. Could all of this be real? Had they really just been attacked by hideous creatures that were half human and half animal, like monsters from a fairytale? Surely that was impossible. To believe that such creatures of legend truly existed was even more far-fetched than all the talk of visions and supernatural inspiration.

'It's all a bit much to grasp, isn't it?' Valene remarked, suddenly appearing beside him. 'A moment ago you were leading a normal life as an ordinary doctor from England on holiday in Canada, now suddenly you're an adventurer pitting yourself against aggressive hybrids in another world.'

'I don't understand any of this,' Jason admitted, bewildered. 'I can only imagine that somehow, I'm not really here, but stuck in some kind of nightmare. Ow!'

He rubbed his arm where Valene had just pinched him.

'I guess it's not working for you either, huh? I've tried it on myself, but I didn't wake up, so I suppose all of this must be real.'

Jason shook his head. 'There are no other worlds, let alone nightmare creatures like those out there. If we're not dreaming, they're just human beings disguising themselves to scare us. Either that, or we're hallucinating. Perhaps there was something untoward in the water we drank...'

The look Valene gave him was almost pitying. With a sigh, she pushed off from the wall and went deeper into the cave, her Beretta at the ready, to see if there was another way out. Unfortunately, she found that the entrance was also the only exit. Instead, she discovered something else: traces of their predecessors.

'_Not again!_' she thought briefly, then began calling for Peter, who quickly took her in his arms and guided her to the front of the cave.

'It's okay, look at me, listen to my voice!'

He held her face between his hands and rested his forehead against hers. The direct contact intensified the effect. His thoughts and feelings for her washed away the impressions she had picked up from the bodies at the other end of the cave, and she clung to his arms gratefully.

'There are five of them,' Kermit said, returning from his own quick investigation. 'They were armed, but it doesn't seem to have done them much good.'

Sam took a step past him, but he blocked her path.

'You don't want to see that. It's gory.'

'Do you think those things outside killed them?' Jack asked.

'No doubt about it.'

'How long have they been here?'

'It's hard to tell,' said Jason, now also rejoining them. 'The cold is preserving them... and stopping the smell. But I don't think they can have been here long.' He paused for a moment, then added shakily, 'They were armed to the teeth, and yet they were torn apart.'

Kermit nodded. 'I'm afraid this is a death trap.'

'Oh my God.'

Sam looked up at Jack, whose expression was deeply troubled. Kwai Chang Caine touched her shoulder.

'We will not share their fate, Samantha.'

'I wish I could share your optimism.'

'Those creatures look like they came straight out of myths and fairytales. How can they suddenly exist in the real world?' John wondered.

Caine said, 'They do not exist in our world. It is we who now exist in theirs.'

'We're not in Kansas anymore,' Peter murmured.

But before they could elaborate, their attackers began to roar again. Sam now also cocked her gun. John did the same and handed his wife a pistol. Phoebe hesitated.

'Just in case,' he urged. 'Hopefully you won't have to use it. I want you and David to stay as far back as possible.' He turned to Jason. 'I think Jack still has a spare revolver - or you could go see if any of the weapons on those corpses still work.'

'I haven't touched a gun in my life, and I don't intend to. Besides, I'd be just as likely to hit one of you as one of them.'

'Then stay back with Phoebe and David and the horses,' said Sam. 'And Caine, perhaps you could... Caine? Where did he go?'

The Shaolin had left them so noiselessly that they hadn't noticed it until now. He was already at the cave entrance, where the hybrid creatures had just aborted their attack, returning to the thicket to lick their wounds. As he was about to step into the open, Peter seized his arm.

'What are you doing?'

'I must negotiate with these beings.'

Jack snorted. 'I don't think they're interested in communicating with us, if they're even capable of speech. We're nothing but food to them!'

'They do not seek food. That is not the reason for their attack on us.'

'Then what is?'

'I do not know. That is why I must speak with them.'

'No, pop,' Peter protested. 'Don't do this. Please stay inside the cave.'

'Do not worry, my son.'

Caine patted Peter's cheek and smiled at him affectionately. Then he spread his arms and stepped outside, without hesitation or fear, leaving behind him a cave full of people who seriously doubted his sanity.

'I am Caine,' Peter's father said distinctly. 'I am unarmed. I do not wish to harm you. I simply want to talk with you.'

Those in the cave held their breath. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the man who looked like a cougar sprang from his hiding place and leapt at Caine.

'Peter, stay here! Jack, put the gun down!' Kermit yelled.

'That beast is gonna kill him!'

'No, it's not! Your father has faced worse. Give him a chance, Peter. You know as well as I do, if anyone can get us out of here without spilling any more blood, he can.'

Kermit stood facing his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. It hardly helped calm him, and yet Peter was forced to admit that Kermit was right. He nodded. Kermit relaxed slightly, but Peter's left index finger remained close to the trigger. Caine and the hybrid man had disengaged, and were now facing each other down.

'My friends and I come with peaceful intentions,' said Caine.

The creature answered him for the first time - its voice was rough and guttural. It was clear that the cougar-man rarely spoke in this language, and had to drag the necessary words up from memory, but at least they now had proof that he was a being capable of rational thought, rather than a mindless beast.

'You and... your friends... human. Come from... human world. Go to... human village? Near lake... yes?'

'This is your home. We will go only where you allow.'

'Not allow!' the other shouted. 'Not go! Die now!'

He roared still more loudly, and the snow-covered underbrush came alive yet again. Caine was surrounded, and this time nothing would hold Peter in the cave. He called out to his father and ran to his side, firing off several shots as he went. The cougar-man went down, but others immediately rallied around him and charged at the humans. Jack and Kermit ran out to support them, and together they retreated back into the cave. The hybrids stuck close to them, not caring about the bullets that Valene, Sam and John were now also firing from the entrance. They came steadily nearer, despite injuries and casualties, reaching the cave within seconds. There they fell on the defenders, knocking their guns aside and engaging them in close combat. Jason pushed Phoebe and David ahead of him, further into the cave, until they reached the dead bodies at the back.

'Shut your eyes, David,' he warned, covering his face. 'Don't look.'

'I wanna stay with dad!' the boy cried.

He had seen his father fighting a sharp-toothed jackal-man, and struggled against Jason and his mother to try and get back to him. Meanwhile, Jason was desperately searching for a way to keep the two of them safe. His one idea would be extremely unpleasant, but it was all he could think of.

'Phoebe, you and David lie down with the corpses.'

'What?'

'Cover yourselves in their bloody coats and roll in the ice. Close your eyes and whatever happens, don't move until one of us comes for you or you can be sure the creatures have gone. Hurry - it could save your lives.'

Jason waited until they had followed his instructions and he could be sure they were sufficiently disguised as just two more bodies. Then he focussed on the second part of the plan that had just entered his head. The fighters needed help, or none of them would live through the day. What he had in mind was dangerous, but there were no safe options right now.

He walked up to Sam's mare Chinook and began petting her and speaking to her soothingly. Taking her reins, he carefully slipped one foot in the stirrup. The horse stood still and Jason mounted up. That was the easy part. Persuading Chinook to head towards the noise and the strange-smelling creatures was another matter and cost him several precious minutes of stroking and cajoling. At last she started to move forward hesitantly. Jason praised her and continued to pat her, hoping that she wouldn't just stop again. A few of the hybrids realised what he was doing and ran at them. Their claws slashed at Chinook's flanks. The horse reared, and Jason was barely able to stay in the saddle.

'Stay away from her!' Sam yelled.

She turned her gun on the creatures attacking her horse, and Jack backed her up. Together they cleared the way for Chinook, and Jason wasted no time in driving her forward. The mare raced from the cave. Behind him, Jason could hear Jack's angry voice raised to shout.

'What the hell d'you think you're doing? Come back!'

He had no time to react, or to think about the burning pain in his left leg. It took all of Jason's concentration to focus on the way ahead, and on putting distance between himself and the hybrids in pursuit. Chinook galloped as fast as she could, downhill towards the lake. He hardly needed to guide her at all - to her, it was like running home.

But the further he rode, the slower she became. Glancing down at her flank, Jason saw that she was losing as much blood as he was. One of the creatures must have injured her before Sam and Jack had intervened. Their pursuers were catching up. They still had a good distance to go, and it didn't look like they were going to make it. Jason looked back over his shoulder and saw two jackal-men preparing to jump. They were so close, they couldn't miss. Any second now they would attack and tear the horse apart.

But the attack didn't happen. The deafening sound of machine guns rang out, and neither of the jackal-men got to finish his jump, as both fell limply. Their fellows ground to a halt. A whole troop of uniformed riders were tearing towards them from three directions. The creatures tried to run, but they didn't get far. The humans showed them no mercy, but brought them all down - not a single hybrid survived. Their leader, a powerfully-built, bald black man sporting a short beard, approached.

'What in the name of God are you doing out here on your own?'

'I was looking for you,' Jason replied.

The soldier very expressively raised one eyebrow. 'Should I know you?'

'No. But the people I'm with need your help. They're being attacked.'

'By the beast-men?'

Clenching his teeth, Jason nodded. His leg was becoming increasingly painful. His new acquaintance took a pragmatic approach.

'How bad is your leg? Can you still ride and show us the way?'

'Not on this horse. She's hurt.'

'We have a veterinarian at Camp Eden.'

He barked orders at the other soldiers, who obeyed them without question. Two men shared one horse and took Chinook's reins to lead her to their camp, while Jason mounted the remaining horse.

'I'm indebted to you... captain, is it?' Jason queried, trying to interpret the insignia on the big man's uniform.

'Braden will do.'

'Jason Cox.'

Braden acknowledged the introduction with a curt nod.

'Okay then. Lead us to your friends.'


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Camp Eden**

Things were not looking good for the humans back in the cave. While their weapons might be superior, the hybrid creatures possessed far more strength and stamina, and vastly outnumbered them. They attacked in waves, advancing with brute force to weaken the humans and then withdrawing, making way for the next group to attack. Kermit took advantage of one of these respites to organise the defenders as best he could.

'Jack, you and I should make for those rocks and take out as many as we can before they reach the cave. Peter, Val, Sam - you stay inside the entrance. That way you can cover us if we have to retreat. Caine, you take care of the ones who get past the rest of us.'

'What about me?' John asked.

'You get with your family at the back of the cave - and stay out of it.'

'I'm a damn good shot, Kermit, as you well know!'

'Twenty years ago, maybe. No offence, sir, but it's better if you just keep out of our way. Especially with that.'

He pointed at the hurriedly bandaged bite wound John had sustained during his fight with the jackal-man earlier. John, however, protested vehemently against hiding out while the others fought for their lives. He insisted on joining the three at the cave entrance, and since there wasn't much time to argue, Kermit was forced to agree. They took their positions quickly - not a moment too soon, as it turned out, for the next attack began seconds later. It was overwhelming. No matter how many hybrids they downed, more just kept coming. The situation was desperate. Normal human fighting skills were no match for the creatures' raw force and bloodlust. Without concern for their own safety, they pushed on through the hail of bullets and broke into the cave.

John went down, and no-one had time to check how badly he was hurt. At least Kermit succeeded in shooting the hyena-like creature that pounced on him hungrily, before he himself was attacked by two more of the same kind. Jack pulled Sam behind him protectively as soon as they began fighting at close quarters, but their backs were to the wall and no less than three wolf-creatures were bent on killing them both. Peter aimed a hard kick at one of the hybrids, drawing its attention to himself and Lobo, who sank his teeth into his enemy's leg. Valene took on the second, and Jack turned his shotgun around to clobber the third. They all knew their efforts were winning them nothing but a little more time. Defeating these beasts would only bring more, and even Caine wouldn't be able to stop them all. For although he was valiantly holding back four of the creatures by himself near the entrance, they kept driving him further into the cave, and more of them were coming up behind, roaring as they prepared to attack.

Jack was bleeding. His left arm had stopped the teeth of one assailant from biting his throat. Sam still had a few bullets left in her pistol and fired them at the creature. But in her excitement she missed all vital areas where the shots would have done any good, and merely succeeded in making it even more furious. Jack intervened just in time before it bit her as well, and beat back their attacker.

'Go to the back of the cave. Hide with Phoebe and the kid,' he urged. 'Hurry.'

'It won't do any good, Jack. They're still going to find us.'

'You've got to try. At least that way you'll have a chance!'

She shook her head obstinately. 'I'm staying with you.'

'Sam, please...'

'No!'

Nothing in the world would make her leave his side, regardless of the danger. He had known that already, of course, but he still had to try. The creatures drove them into a corner. Valene, Peter and Caine were all too busy staying alive themselves to help them. Kermit was nowhere to be seen. Jack took Sam's hand and squeezed it tightly.

'I love you, _a stóirín_.'

'I love you too.'

Standing close together, they prepared for the worst, but suddenly the tables were turned. They heard a human voice shouting outside, followed by gunfire from at least a dozen automatic weapons. The creatures were trapped between the humans inside the cave and the riders outside never stood a chance, and their fellows fled. Lobo ran after them for a short way, growling and snapping his jaws as if to warn them against returning. Relieved, Sam flung her arms around Jack's neck; he gave her a one-armed hug, lifted her and spun her around, whooping for joy. Peter pulled Valene close and kissed her, while Caine went to check on Kermit and John. They were alive. Kermit had taken a blow to the head and John was bleeding from a wound under his left arm, but they would both be all right. Caine applied a bandage. Kermit struggled to his feet and went to get Phoebe and David. Valene turned to her brother and sister-in-law.

'Are you two okay? Jack, you're hurt!'

'You too,' Sam said, pointing at the torn, blood-stained fabric that was sticking to Valene's leg.

'No, I'm fine,' Valene assured her. 'These pants aren't though. I'll buy you a new pair as soon as I get the chance.'

'Nonsense, you're bleeding!'

Valene shook her head, and showed Sam her perfectly undamaged leg as proof. As she did so, she glanced at her brother, who smiled quietly. Just then, a booming voice called to them from the cave entrance, distracting Sam from her amazement.

'Hello? Everyone okay in here?'

A tall, black man in uniform, who introduced himself as Braden, stepped into the cave to check on them. And behind him, limping, but alive...

'Jason?' Sam went to him, looked from his bloodless face down to the newly-bandaged leg, and ran outside, only to return seconds later. 'Where's Chinook?'

'She's hurt, Sam...'

'Hurt? How bad is it?'

'The mare lost a lot of blood,' said Braden, quickly grasping what they were talking about. 'My people took her to the veterinarian in Camp Eden. He's a good man.'

'You bloody, selfish, brainless numskull!' Jack yelled, seizing Jason by his lapel and shoving him back against the rock. 'What is wrong with you? Do you want to die before we even know where it is we're going? You know what, I don't even care! Just don't go taking an innocent animal down with you! Here...'

In a flash he took the gun from Sam's hand, thrust it into Jason's, and forced his arm up so the muzzle touched his temple.

'Go ahead, blow your brains out, for all I care. You'd be doing us all a favour!'

'Jack, stop it!' Peter yelled, horrified.

He moved to intervene, but both Valene and Sam held him back. Jack let go of Jason's hand and stepped away from him. He looked at the young man challengingly. Jason held his stare for a moment without blinking, then he flung the gun away from him.

'I'm very sorry about Chinook,' he said quietly to Sam, and shot an injured look at Jack. 'I was only trying to help.'

Pushing past them all, he limped back outside. Jack took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Peter snapped at him.

'What the hell were you thinking? What if he had pulled that trigger?'

Jack dismissed the remark with a wave of his hand. 'The gun was empty.'

He was a lot calmer by now, and purposely avoided looking at his sister, whose reproachful stare he could feel at the back of his neck. Without saying a word, Valene stepped past Braden and went outside, after Jason. The soldier appraised the dishevelled bunch of newcomers with interest.

'Just who are you people, and what in the world are you doing out here?'

'Search me,' Jack grumbled.

They introduced themselves. None of their names meant anything to Braden, who had never even heard of a John Sheridan before. Wherever they had ended up, and whoever their rescuers might be, they clearly led very isolated lives. But strange as they were, they didn't seem lacking in hospitality.

'You all look like you could use a doctor and a hot meal,' Braden suggested. 'We'll take you back to Camp Eden with us. You'll find everything you need there.'

A few of Braden's soldiers gave up their horses. Kermit was on the point of refusing to ride again when David offered to share a horse with him if he was scared - his pride wouldn't allow that. Thus they returned to the lake from which they had departed that morning, and where everything was now so very different.

They reached the palisade they had seen from afar without further incident. The guards on the watchtowers at once called to their comrades below to open the big gates, and Braden led them into the camp. The name Eden seemed rather grand for such a humble settlement, which was mostly reminiscent of an old frontier town. Wooden houses, no more than two stories high, stood by a muddy road that was lined by mounds of filthy slush. There was a drug store, a barber, a livery stable - the whole camp could easily have served as a setting for a western movie without alterations.

'Wow!' David exclaimed. What he saw fascinated him so much that he temporarily forgot about the horrors of the past hours, which had rendered him silent for the duration of the ride. 'This place is just so cool!'

Jack, who was riding on Angus with Sam, might have agreed with him if the settlement had been anywhere else but here. This was his home, or it should have been. In one way, everything felt so familiar, and yet it was completely strange. There was the lake, _his_ lake, where he and Sam had spent so many evenings in blissful intimacy, sipping cocoa and gazing at the stars. But there could be no intimacy now. Other families had built houses all around the shore, and there were people everywhere. His favourite fishing spot was now a garden where a stranger's child was playing fetch with the family dog.

Braden reined in his horse roughly where Jack's tool shed should have stood, and passed the reins to one of his subordinates. Just then, a little girl ran up to him.

'Daddy, daddy, you're home!'

The stern soldier seemed like a different person as he bent forward, smiled, and scooped the child up in his arms.

'Hey, munchkin, what are you doing here all by yourself? Where's your mom?'

'She's at home peeling potatoes with Dinah. She says we're having Wally for dinner.'

Braden gave a loud and hearty laugh. 'I hope you mean walleye!'

'Could be. Are you gonna come home now and fix my rocking horse like you promised?'

He stroked her fuzzy hair affectionately. 'Soon, honey. First I need to take care of these people.'

His daughter turned her big eyes on the strangers and blinked at them with curiosity.

'Who are they, daddy? Are they our friends?'

'I hope so.' Braden beckoned David to join them and introduced the children to each other. 'This is my youngest, Hannah. Would you like to go home with her and meet her brother and sisters? I bet my wife has something tasty for you to eat, too - that is if your parents don't mind.'

Phoebe looked at John doubtfully. No-one needed to read her mind to understand her concerns. John asked David what he would like to do. The boy was clearly torn. On the one hand, he was hungry, and after spending so much time with adults, he really wanted to meet some other children. But he was far from over their experiences of the day, and he was worried.

'I dunno,' he began. 'We've only just arrived, and you're hurt...'

John crouched down beside him. Keeping one hand pressed against the bandage Caine had applied, he patted David's shoulder with the other.

'I'll be fine, son, don't worry about me. Go play with the other kids if you want. We'll come get you later, when we've found a place to stay.'

Phoebe turned to Kermit. 'Would you go with him?'

'That won't be necessary,' said Braden. 'I assure you, your son is quite safe inside the camp.'

'No offence, but we don't know you,' John replied. 'Our son has been through some terrible things today, and there's no way we're letting him go into a strange house without someone there to look after him. I hope you won't hold it against us. After all, you're a father too...'

Braden nodded. 'Sure, I understand. I guess I'd feel the same way if our positions were reversed.'

'Well then... How about it, half-pint?' Kermit asked.

David needed no more convincing. Hannah seized his hand and pulled him along, while Kermit stayed close behind. The other adults followed Braden into a building that seemed to serve as a kind of headquarters. He asked them to wait, knocked on a door to their left which bore a metal plaque engraved with the name 'R. Gold - Commander', and entered.

The hallway where he left them was unremarkable - just a dimly lit passage with identical doors on either side. Something about the light, however, caught Jack's attention. He stepped up to one of the wall lamps and peered behind the glass.

'What are you doing?' Peter queried. 'It's just an old oil lamp, Jack.'

'You'd think so, yeah. But it's electric.'

'What?'

Jack looked around and found a small control panel on the wall. The light grew brighter or dimmer when he swept his finger across the smooth black surface.

'Hey, not bad.' Peter tried it for himself. 'I sure didn't expect to find that kind of modern technology in a place like this. Where d'you think they get the power from? I guess there must be a generator around here somewhere.'

'I hope it's more reliable than ours,' Sam remarked. 'It's so temperamental we tend to have more barbecues than anything else. We were going to buy a new one, but...'

'I like barbecues,' said Jack.

Their eyes met, and they fell silent, thinking of the home that meant so much to them, despite - or maybe because of - its many kinks. It was only Braden's return that broke the ensuing silence.

'This way please.'

The room he led them into was an office, furnished with a large wooden desk and chairs, with filing cabinets along the back wall and a map of the camp above. Here they were met by a man in uniform, probably in his mid-forties, and of roughly the same build as Jason. His distinct accent left no doubt that he was originally from Scotland.

'Welcome to Eden,' he greeted them. 'I'm Commander Gold.'

John stepped forward first and held out his hand. 'John Sheridan.'

'It's an honour to meet you, Mr. President.'

Considering Braden's ignorance, John was surprised that the commander recognised him. But he decided not to mention it for now, and instead introduced the others.

'I'm very pleased to meet all of you,' said the Commander, shaking hands with each of them in turn. 'And very curious as to the reason for your being here.'

'We have a few questions for you too,' John replied. 'But as Braden has probably told you, we had rather a rough encounter with a horde of your local hybrid creatures. I don't know about anyone else, but I could use a shower and a rest before we talk.'

'What you need first of all is a doctor,' Phoebe put in. 'Do you have a hospital on site, Commander?'

'Something like that. Braden will show you the way and find you accommodation. Once you've had time to recover, I hope you'll join me for dinner. I wasn't expecting visitors this evening, but I'm sure I can get us a table at the saloon. Shall we say around eight? Good. I look forward to it.'

Upon leaving the commander's office, they first took the horses to the livery stable. Sam and Jack went to check on Chinook. The vet had taken good care of her, but the creatures' claws had injured her badly, and her constant snorting made it clear that she was still in great pain. Sam leaned her forehead against the mare's and stroked her neck, fighting back tears.

'I'm really, really sorry,' Jason said again.

Jack threw him an angry glance, but said nothing this time. Instead he stood next to Sam and slipped his uninjured arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Caine also came closer. He gently stroked Chinook's back all the way to the hindquarters and glanced underneath the bandage that protected her left flank and thigh.

'Can you help her?' Peter asked eagerly.

'I believe I can.'

Caine reached into the pouch he carried, rubbed some herbs between his palms and gently slipped them under the bandage. He held his hands out a short distance from the wound, as if resting on an invisible cushion, and closed his eyes in concentration. Every now and then he moved his hands slightly, this way and that, much as he had done back in the tunnel. The mare stopped snorting. She finally calmed right down, nudged Sam with her snout, and shook herself.

'What is it?' Sam wondered.

Chinook nibbled her coat.

'You're hungry? You want something to eat?'

'Here...'

Valene took a carrot from a bag she found hanging from a hook and handed it to Sam. Chinook almost snatched it from her hand and gobbled it down so fast that Sam had to laugh, even though her eyes were still moist.

'How did you do that?' Jason asked the Shaolin priest in wonder.

He merely shrugged his shoulders in his usual manner, while incredulous faces stared at him.

'Thank you,' said Sam, and kissed his cheek. 'Thank you so much.'

'I will remain with her in case she should need further help,' said Caine, appearing slightly embarrassed. 'You should tend to your own wounds now.'

His words met with general agreement. Braden showed them the way to the clinic, which was just in the next road. A bench under a small awning seemed to serve as a waiting area in better weather, and a woman wearing a dark red winter coat was just coming out of the building, about to lock the door, when Braden approached her.

'Good evening, Janet.'

'Oh hello, Braden. What on earth...'

Astonishment at the sight of the seven dishevelled-looking strangers who accompanied him was written all over her face.

'These people had a run-in with the creatures in the mountains. They're in need of medical attention and accommodation for the night - for ten people.'

'I see. I have three empty rooms upstairs, and a guest room and a couch at home that are never used. You're welcome to them. But first let's take a look at those injuries. Come on in.'

The door led straight into a large surgery. Dr. Fraiser - as Braden introduced her - studied each of them in turn to decide who needed her help most urgently. She waved John forward.

'I can wait,' he said. 'Please take care of the others first.'

'If I'm not mistaken, you've sustained two bite wounds - right?'

'Right. But I hardly think I'm about to transform into a were-hyena or something,' he joked.

Not only Phoebe, but also Dr. Fraiser looked at him reproachfully. She was a lot shorter than him and not particularly strong, but her brown eyes held such authority at that moment that John gave in without further protest, realising that she would not back down.

'You remind me of my old Math teacher,' he grumbled.

'She must have been a very capable woman. Now sit on the couch and take off your sweater. Your wife can stay - the rest of you please wait next door in my office. It should still be warm enough, after all, I only just turned off the heater.'

She examined and treated each of them meticulously, and it was an hour before she was finally done. She offered them the rooms above the surgery to stay in, and it was decided that the Averys and Caines would spend the night there. When Valene suggested that Jason take the second bed in Caine's room, Jack pulled a face.

'I think that's a marvellous idea,' said Sam, touching the sling on Jack's left arm placatingly. 'That way we'll all have a doctor nearby, just in case.'

Dr. Fraiser turned her attention from Sam to Jason with interest.

'Are you a doctor too? Why didn't you say so?'

'I was,' Jason said shortly. 'I quit.'

'I wasn't aware that was possible,' Dr. Fraiser said drily. 'I've always looked on it more as a vocation than a profession.'

Jason ignored her remark, and limped towards the door that seemed to lead to the stairs.

'Fine,' said Dr. Fraiser, a little taken aback by his reticence. 'The rest of you are welcome to stay at my place. The house is far too big for just one person anyway; it'll be fun to have visitors for a change.'

'That's very kind of you,' said Phoebe. 'Thank you.'

John suggested, 'Maybe you'd like to join us for dinner. Commander Gold invited us to meet him at the saloon at eight. Braden, do you think the commander would mind if Dr. Fraiser came along?'

'No, he wouldn't mind,' the soldier replied, but Janet Fraiser shook her head.

'Thank you, but no. I... have other plans.'

And so, having rested and checked on the horses once more, at just before eight they made their way to the saloon without Dr. Fraiser.

It was a two-floor wooden building in a central location, easy to find because of the noise emanating from it. It was packed with people eating, drinking and conversing loudly while a jukebox played. The furnishings were in keeping with the overall style of Camp Eden: a wood-panelled room, wooden tables and benches, chandeliers in the shape of wagon wheels, and even lassoes and boots hung up for decoration were reminiscent of the age of pioneers. Commander Gold had secured a large table on the outer edge, close to a tiled stove whose comfortable warmth was especially welcome after the bitter cold outside.

'I love what you've done with the place,' said Peter as he sat down.

Jack, on the other hand, was not in the mood for enjoying the cosy atmosphere. His patience was at an end, and he addressed Gold directly.

'Sorry to be so blunt, but we've had a tough day. Would you mind explaining what the hell is going on here?'

'Going on?' The commander did not seem to understand. 'How do you mean?'

'I mean those things out there, the people here, this place - the whole caboodle. This morning we left our house right here by the lake. Now it's gone, and instead there's this settlement that looks like John Wayne should be riding in at any moment. How can that be? What happened to our house?'

'Nothing. It's right where you left it.'

Commander Gold looked around at a series of tense, expectant faces. Only Peter and his father already had an inkling of what he was about to say.

Gold began, 'Am I to understand that none of you realise where you are?'

'Well, we started out in Canada,' Sam replied. 'My husband and I own a house in the Rockies, right by this lake - or one that looks just like it. We came through a tunnel in the mountains, and since then...'

She described their reactions, the changes they had noticed, and the inexplicable fact that they appeared to be heading back where they had come from, without turning round. At the end of her narrative, Gold's face took on a pensive expression. A waitress brought a tureen, a stack of soup dishes and a bread basket, and took their orders for drinks. After she had gone, the commander leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, while Phoebe began ladling hot tomato soup into the dishes.

'This is not Canada,' he said. 'In fact, there is no such country here, nor are there any other countries. Mr. Avery, as I said before, your house is right where you left it - in _your world_.'

'Our world? Now what's that supposed to mean?'

'When you came through the tunnel, you stepped through a portal connecting your world to this one, a parallel version of the same Earth. The two worlds have much in common, and yet they are completely different. The people in this camp all originally came from the same world as you did; we call it the Old World. Twenty years ago, we left in search of a new home for mankind, one where we could hope for a better life than the one we had left behind. A world without war, without injustice, free of suffering - that was our dream. That is why we called this place Eden. But unfortunately, we encountered unforeseen hardships.'

'Hang on. Run that past me again,' said Jack. 'There are two worlds? And they're connected by nothing more than what looks like an old mining tunnel?'

'The tunnel isn't the connection, but the portal within the tunnel.'

'A portal?' Valene said musingly. 'You mean like some kind of invisible door? That place where the flashlights stopped working - where you stopped, Caine. You felt the portal, didn't you?'

'That is correct.'

'Don't you start, Val,' her brother complained. 'It just isn't possible! There can't be two worlds.'

'There could be many more,' said the commander. 'There is a theory that an endless amount of worlds exist simultaneously in parallel universes, and that any choice made by any individual anywhere in the world triggers a crossroads into different parallel worlds. For example, you made the decision to come through that tunnel. It's possible that there is another world where you did not make that decision, but stayed home instead. In such a world, this conversation would never take place.'

'But if it's our decisions that call these other worlds into being and cause the differences between them,' Sam reasoned, 'how do you explain the hybrid creatures? What kind of human decision could have created them? Surely their very existence suggests a different evolutionary path to the one we know.'

'Either that, or it suggests another dimension,' said Peter, glancing at his father. 'One where demonic creatures roam a world that looks like ours.'

'The beings that attacked us are not demons,' Caine replied.

'Then what are they?' Valene asked.

Gold said, 'An excellent question, Ms. Avery. Unfortunately, I still haven't found an answer to that one though.'

They interrupted their talk while the waitress removed the empty soup dishes and served the main course. Everyone but Caine had venison with potatoes - the Shaolin graciously declined the meat and helped himself to vegetables - and drank water, beer, or wine. While they ate, Commander Gold enquired after the reason for the expedition that had brought them to him.

At first, they were hesitant to tell him the truth, having no way of knowing how the people of Eden thought about supernatural abilities. But they had to tell him something, and besides, he seemed to have more important concerns to deal with, other than segregating a portion of the human population. John therefore enlightened the commander as to their situation, although he deliberately avoided mentioning which members of their group possessed such abilities. Gold seemed interested, but also assure them that they would be quite safe in Eden.

'Eden was always meant to be a safe haven,' he said, 'a place where we could be free of the prejudices that caused so much conflict and suffering in the Old World. It may sound like a utopia, but all citizens here really are equal. Gender, race, background... none of that matters. We simply expect everyone here to use their skills for the good of the community, not against it. We all do our part, to the best of our abilities.'

'You're right, that does sound like a utopia,' John remarked doubtfully. 'As much as I would like to believe that mankind is capable of something better, I'm afraid greed, envy and general egoism are too firmly rooted in our nature for us to create our own paradise on Earth, be it in our own world or in any other.'

'True, and I do not wish to claim that we don't have our problems, or that we live in perfect harmony. But all in all, we are a close-knit community, which is probably owed to the experiences and the hardships we have shared while making this new home for ourselves.'

Commander Gold now told them how he had come to this world, a young man full of hope and ideals. In the beginning, it had seemed as though it were completely uninhabited. It was only when they had begun building their settlement by the lake, sowing fields and erecting fences for cattle, that they had become aware of the hybrids that came down from the mountains. The creatures had attacked their unprotected homes without warning, devastating them and taking many lives. That was why the camp was now protected by a palisade, and patrols secured the surrounding area.

As he spoke, Valene began pulling a face worthy of her brother.

'Is there something bothering you, Ms. Avery?' Gold enquired.

'To be honest, yes, there is. What you're saying reminds me of the early encounters between white settlers and the native tribes of various colonial states in human history. And once again, fear and misunderstandings have caused too much pain and suffering - on both sides.'

'I can assure you, there was no misunderstanding in this case, my dear. I was there, I saw it with my own eyes. It happened just as you experienced it yourselves today: We did nothing to provoke the creatures, and yet they attacked us without mercy. We made several attempts to communicate with them, to find a peaceful solution, but they all ended in tragedy. I remember one particularly idealistic young woman. She was of Native American descent, and I suppose she was thinking of the same historic events to which you are referring. She was convinced she could make peace with these creatures, that we could coexist with them in this world, maybe even befriend them. She made the mistake of thinking of them as human beings - they're not. That error of judgement cost her her life. There was very little left of her to send back to her family in the Old World.'

'Commander, please,' Phoebe interrupted him anxiously. 'I don't want my son to have nightmares. He's seen and experienced enough horrors already today.'

'It's fine, mom,' David assured her, but she would not be swayed.

It was getting late, and so she suggested returning to Dr. Fraiser's place and putting him to bed. She was surprised when Jason at once and offered to take him. He said he was tired himself, and would like to go back to the clinic and lie down; he did look somewhat exhausted. Phoebe thanked him, and they all wished him and David a good night. Gold watched them go.

'That's a very reserved young man. I must say I'm surprised to see someone like him on this kind of expedition. Or is he one of the fugitives you spoke of?'

'His being here is just a coincidence, really,' said Sam. 'But we thought it couldn't hurt to have a doctor close at hand.'

'A doctor? Really? What's his speciality?'

'No idea,' Kermit said. 'Like you said: He's reserved.'

'Well, I'm sure dear Janet would appreciate his help at the clinic, in any case.'

Janet Fraiser was at that moment settling down in her favourite armchair by the fireplace, a mug of cocoa in one hand and a worn-out copy of Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander _in the other. But tonight, Claire's adventures could not distract her. She was lost in thought. She kept thinking of the strangers, the newcomers from the Old World. They were a motley bunch, and yet they kindled a hope in her that she hadn't felt for a long time. Maybe, at long last, she had found someone who would help her.

There was a knock at the door. Jason and David gratefully stepped into the warm interior. David didn't want to go up to the bedroom on his own and wait for his parents, so Janet offered them both cocoa and cookies she had baked the day before, and fetched a blanket for David. He curled up on the sofa and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Jason held his mug between his hands, allowing the hot steam to warm his face.

His thoughts were in turmoil - confusing, painful, terrifying thoughts. Until yesterday, there had been nothing on his mind but Melanie. Nothing else had mattered to him, except for the fact that she was gone. He had missed her - so much that he had wanted to die too. But although he had surrendered to death on the road through the woods, and although he had even considered taking his own life that very morning, he had survived. Moreover, he had let these complete strangers talk him into throwing in his lot with them. Why? Just because Caine had hinted that he understood? Because that strange man had given him hope that his life could improve?

So far, it had only changed for the worse. Since their departure that morning, he had passed through an invisible portal into another world, been attacked and injured by hideous, nightmarish creatures, and had almost been incited to shoot himself by Jack. His mind didn't want to believe any of it. It simply couldn't be real. It had to be a dream, a particularly crazy, impossible dream from which he would hopefully wake up soon. Or maybe...

How could he be sure that he was even still alive? Perhaps he had died of hypothermia in the truck yesterday, and perhaps everything he had gone through since had been some kind of purgatory, an interlude on his way to the afterlife, if there even was such a thing. That interpretation was almost preferable. At least it meant there was a chance he would soon be reunited with Melanie.

'What are you thinking about?'

Janet Fraiser's quiet, sympathetic voice shattered his thoughts with the force of a cannonball, startling him.

'I just... nothing you'd like to know, believe me.'

'You seemed unhappy. Is it something to do with your wife?' His surprise made her smile. 'I couldn't help but notice the wedding band you're always fiddling with.'

'Could we talk about something else? Or better still, not talk at all?'

She studied him thoughtfully. He put down his mug and picked up a stack of cards from the coffee table. Janet often played a game of patience in the evenings, but Jason preferred another method of calming his thoughts. He stood two cards on the table, the narrow sides touching, forming a triangle, and rested one card against each side. Then he placed two more cards on top, as a floor for the next level, and so on.

'You have very steady hands,' Janet remarked. 'A surgeon's hands.'

He dropped the cards at once, rose abruptly, and went to the hall stand to fetch his coat.

'I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now.'

He was halfway to the door before she could try to stop him. It was only David, screaming suddenly in his sleep, who brought him back.


End file.
